The Role of a Lifetime
by letzigprincess
Summary: Fighting for a divorce, Edward struggles to care for his two year old daughter. Enter Bella Swan, college student and new neighbor. Will Edward fall back into the arms of his ex or into the heart of his daughter's babysitter? AH Lots of drama & daddyward.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**The Role of a Lifetime**

**Chapter 1**

"I've got it! The fall semester is going to be starting soon. All the girls are going to be coming back now that classes are starting. We could have a fundraiser where the girls come out in bikinis and have a car wash. It's perfect!"

Edward Cullen shook his head at his second closest friend, Jasper Whitlock. He and the other boys of fire station 88 in Forks, Washington had been brainstorming ideas for ways to raise money all damn morning. So far, Jasper's idea—which was possibly the most degrading of them all, was actually sounding pretty good. He wondered if that had more to do with his lack of a social life or the fact that sex definitely sales.

"Please. I think we have a better chance of us strapping on our sexy suspenders, showing off our abs, and washing our firetrucks while all of those college girls pay to see it," Emmett, Edward's best friend, said with a smirk.

"I think you're both wrong. We should let James just do a striptease for the entire town. Fifty bucks admission," Edward said, totally joking. The five guys sitting around the station's living quarters burst into laughter. James, the resident old geezer, flipped them off. James Stotler was by far the oldest firefighter Edward had ever heard of before, he was like a father to all of them, and the man was relentless in an emergency.

"Alright," Tyler Crowley spoke up for only the second time that morning, "why don't we have a big benefit dinner? I'm talking, we open up the hall, have it catered, put some decorations up, and charge admission to get in. We could rent a DJ."

"That's not a bad idea but do we have the money upfront to pull it off. Sounds like we need money to make money on that one, Ty."

"I think it's a good idea," James put in, obviously over the striptease comment.

"I can talk to Rose and see if she'd help organize it. I'm betting she'd be excited to throw a party with money that isn't hers."

"She always throws parties with money that isn't hers, bro. She throws it with yours," Jasper grinned and laughed.

"True story, Jazz, true fucking story."

"Well, if you ladies will excuse me, I have an important date tonight. I've got to meet her at five and if I'm a minute late, I'll hear about it for the rest of the night," Edward said, standing up.

"Hey, before you leave, tomorrow's Friday. You coming with us or not?" Emmett asked, playing with a pocket knife in his hand.

"I'll have to see. The little lady tends to keep me up most of the night. I'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow."

Jasper laughed, "Have fun, man."

Edward felt that excited feeling he always felt when it was time to go get the only girl who he loved more than anything in the world. Driving past vans and other cars of the four door variety, Edward whipped his ocean blue two-door sports car into a spot by two soccer moms who were no doubt talking about their son or daughter's last game and how much they wanted to kill their husbands for some errand they had forgotten to run. When he stepped out of the car, they quit with their chatter and he could feel their eyes burning holes into him.

He heard the music before the door was even open and he smiled to himself before grabbing the knob. "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Knees and toes..." the song droned in the background as he watched the class of ten children between the ages of two and six dancing around the room. He stood idly by, not wanting to ruin the fun. Before long, the daycare worker noticed him, and smiled before announcing, "Kaley, look who's here!"

"Daddy!" The just-turned-two-year-old came bounding towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed and hugged her tight, lifting her up and walking over to talk to the young teacher.

"How are things going? Is she doing okay here?"

"She's doing great, Mr. Cullen, really. You don't need to worry. It's been two weeks and we've had no problems at all with her. She's a very happy little girl."

Kaley Ann Cullen lifted her head from his shoulder to smile at the lady that Edward listened to her talk nonstop about. A few weeks ago, his mom had finally managed to talk him into putting her into daycare a couple days a week. No one he knew had kids—except James, and they were all grown up—and his mother was concerned that she wouldn't be social enough when it came time for her to start preschool. It was clear from Kaley's reports to him every night that she loved it. He made a mental note to call and thank his mom when they got home.

"Good. If you need anything don't hesitate to call. I can be here in a heartbeat."

When he had her little book bag packed with her little blanket and little pillow, Edward carried her out and got her strapped into the car. She was babbling away about someone named Dora who had a pet monkey when he noticed the two women were staring at him again. They both had rings on. He had seen them everyday when he came to pick up Kaley since the first day she had started there—and they had definitely seen him.

He would notice them looking at him when they walked by. One day, he heard them make a reference to a sex God. The day after that, he pretended to want to know what they thought about the daycare, since Kaley had just started there, so that he could take time to get a better look at them. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find the one attractive and figured he might have a shot. To his disappointment, both had rings on their left hands and he had kindly said thanks and walked away. That didn't stop them from staring at him though.

He felt uncomfortable about it. These women were married. They had husbands waiting back home for them, yet they stood outside of their child's daycare and ogled him. The pain came to him full force as he thought of himself, just a few years ago, in the position of those husbands. Tanya Cullen had drilled a hole straight through his heart and as much as he tried to protect her, through his daughter's as well.

On their way home they passed the station and Kaley asked if they could stop. He knew the guys had probably left after he did so he promised to take her a different day. The problem was, he was working two jobs. He would go into Saxton and Chase every morning after dropping Kaley off where he pretty much acted a a gopher for the small law firm. He delivered mail, picked up court documents, made a few phone calls—nothing that a student of three years of law school should be having to deal with. He had picked up that job after dropping out of college.

He would remember that week as the most fucked up week of his life. On Monday he had been sitting in class, taking notes and dreaming out how in less than a year, he'd be a full fledged lawyer. On Wednesday, they had gone out to a bar and he was told that once again—it had happened before—that Tanya was cheating on him. On Thursday, he found out that his life would never be the same-he found out Tanya was pregnant.

That Friday, Edward realized there was no way he was going to finish school in time. Tanya had moved out the night he'd found out she was sleeping around, due to a request by him. She had sworn up and down that the baby was his. He hoped and prayed she was right. This changed everything, though. If he and Tanya were to have the baby together, he could have afforded to finish out school while she kept working at the D.A.'s office. While he planned for his child, she planned to abort it. When he found out from a mutual friend of theirs, he begged her to keep it. If it was his, he would raise it. If it wasn't she could put it up for adoption. He pleaded with her for three days before she reluctantly agreed. Late in the afternoon, he sat in the library of the school and emailed registrars, informing them that he wouldn't be returning after this semester. He had a baby to take care of on his own. He needed to provide for him or her.

So, he picked up the entry level position and after being introduced to firefighting through a boyrfriend of a friend, he decided to join.. Emmett McCarty and Jasper Whitlock quickly became two close friends and he realized he found a part in the brotherhood he'd found in the guys he served their small community with. When Kaley was born, there was a paternity test done. Tanya and him hadn't spoken much throughout the pregnancy. He would call her for updates and it had been set up with an adoptive family to take the baby if it turned out to not be his. While any of man in his position may have prayed to God that test proved he was free of responsibility, he prayed that the little one was his own. He couldn't stand the idea of the baby going home with people neither he nor Tanya really knew.

He pretty much knew from the moment they came to the waiting room to get him and walked him back to her that she was his. There wasn't a doubt in his mind. She had the greenest eyes—much like his own, and her hair, which she had almost a full head of already, was blonde like her mothers. It only took a few hours to complete the test and in the end, he was handed a newborn.

As soon as he'd gotten the results, he named her and took her out to show his mom. Esme was absolutely thrilled and had even stayed at his house with him the first few days. The year before he had imagined this day, bringing home his little one, but things were a hell of a lot different. This newborn little girl was his sole responsibility and when his mom left on the third day the weight of that slammed him hard. That little five pound miracle was relying on him to keep her safe, cared for, and loved. He had no idea how truly hard it could be.

Having lived in Forks his whole life, he had gotten to know most of the women and his options for dating her pretty slim. While Forks was small, it was also a college town. The locals were okay with it, knowing the University brought them a lot of money, but there was always a population boom nine months of the year and almost everyone of the knew people were younger than him—and definitely not looking for a man with a baby. He'd been on very few dates since Tanya left him and the main reason was that he didn't want Kaley to get too attached. He was tired of one night stands.

Just recently, Tanya had tried to get back together with him. He had never really pushed for the divorce, just letting it take its time but it still bothered him when people referred to her as Tanya Cullen. He turned her down every time she asked him out but he knew she wouldn't give up that easily. He hoped that she'd leave him alone tonight. Kaley was going through a stage where she would fight sleep and then get cranky and be up fussing all night—he didn't need his estranged wife to make his nights worse.

During his prayers to the man upstairs, begging him to allow him some peace that coming night—to let the little girl sleep, Edward noticed the U-Haul pulled up almost directly in front of his house. Up until a few months ago, an elderly couple lived there. Now, they were in Florida and renting the house out to college students. Edward sighed, having prayed that no one would have taken the house. He didn't want neighbors—especially not noisy college students who would keep Kaley up even more.

To his annoyance, a young Native American boy and a man dressed as a cop, came down the ramp of the U-Haul carrying boxes. _Great, that's all I need. Some damned frat boy living right beside us._ A little puppy, much to feminine for either of these men was sniffing around the mailbox—and immediately got Kaley's attention. He'd just unbuckled her car seat and set her on the ground while he crawled in further to get her things when he heard a happy shriek and watched her take off running.

"Kaley! Hey! Come back here!" Edward sighed, throwing the tiny princess book bag over one shoulder and heading towards her.

Edward watched as the dog ran towards the other side of the moving van and Kaley followed. He ran, yelling to her to stay off the street, wishing the two men were at least still there to stop her. That's when he saw her. A tiny girl, about five and a half feet tall with ivory skin and deep mahogany curls came around the van carrying his daughter. "Kaley, don't you ever do that again!" Edward cried before apologizing to the girl.

"No worries. She just got excited about Peanut, my little Yorkie."

"I know but I should have been watching her better."

Bella just looked at him, obviously not knowing what to say, before tucking her hair behind her ear and asking, "So...do you live next door?"

"Yeah. Are you the one moving in here or..."

"Yes. My dad and Jake are helping me out but it's just me. This is my first time away from home and they're both kind of freaking out."

"Is Jake your brother?" Edward asked quickly.

"Um...no...he's a...childhood friend. I've known him all my life."

"I see." Edward wondered why the hell this piece of information bothered him so badly.

"Oh...um...sorry. I can take her," he mumbled, reaching to take Kaley from her. Surprisingly, Kaley reached back out to her and whined a little. "She's just a little cranky since she's probably hungry. I live right next door so if you need anything, don't hesitate to stop by."

"Thanks..."

"Hey! We officially have the tv hooked up! Our work here is done!" Edward watched the boy called Jake yell obnoxiously from the front door of the house.

Edward chuckled as the beautiful girl rolled her eyes and smiled before walking away with a nod. He found himself watching her as she walked away and it took Kaley, who was squirming to be put down to get his attention. Forcing himself to turn around and walk back towards his own house, Edward berated himself for not getting his new neighbor's name.

A few hours later, he had Kaley fed, bathed, and pajama'd. They stood in the bathroom, her on the toilet and him in front of the sink brushing their teeth for the night. She was mumbling through the toothpaste and Edward gave up trying to stop the dripping result from getting on her top. It was white anyway. "I na puppy."

Edward knew what exactly what she had just babbled. _Great. A puppy. I can barely take care of the two of us let alone a puppy! _"Alright, little bug, get those teeth brushed and we'll go read some stories."

That must have been enough to get her to calm down because she smiled, toothpaste going everywhere, and hopped down. Handing him the toothbrush, she let him rinse it off, then wipe her mouth and shirt. "Dadadada..."

Of course the first book she picked from her princess shelf was a book whose main character was none other than a puppy. "Alright, climb in," he laughed, lifting her covers. As soon as her head touched the pillow shaped like Aladin's lamp, her eyes started to flutter closed. Edward knew that if he tried to leave without reading to her, she'd open them back up and they'd stay that way all night. As he started to read about a little girl whose mother bought her a puppy, he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

When he finished the story, she asked for another, like she did every night and he gave in. After that, he kissed her goodnight, tucked the covers as tightly around her as he could, and flicked on her butterfly nightlight. Walking out into the living room, he flopped down on the couch and stretched out. Since Kaley was born, the only time he really had to himself was when she was sleeping or with his mom. He took the opportunity to think about the mystery girl next door, telling himself it was just because he was concerned about his neighbors.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was either attending college or just recently graduated. When he'd seen her earlier that day, she had been wearing a gray sweatshirt with UW on the front. He thought about the way it was cut so that it hung off her one shoulder, exposing just enough of her pale skin to make him want to run his finger across the exposed area. The short cotton shorts she was wearing left little to the imagination.

_Wow. Yeah, keep checking out your college student neighbor, you perv. _He shook his head but couldn't deny that he thought she was hot...the basketball shorts he wore did little to hide to his excitement. He had thought about her while he got Kaley's dinner ready, while he played hide and seek with her—for an hour-and even while he read that book to her. This girl was seriously driving him crazy and he didn't even know her name.

Since he and Tanya were married, Edward had pleaded with her to sign the damn divorce papers more times than he could count. The fact that it was easier to sign their daughter away than it was to get her to divorce him upset but didn't really shock him. What did shock him was that her new fondness of him. She hadn't seen her daughter since signing over all rights to him the day the little girl was born and he damn well intended to keep it that way.

Sometimes he wondered about Kaley's well being and if having a mother in the picture was necessary for her to turn out normal. He wondered what normal meant and decided that as long as she had one parent who loved her unconditionally and provided for and kept her safe...she was about twenty steps ahead of some of the other children in the world. That fact alone was exactly why he couldn't bring himself to allow someone he didn't know to raise his child. He'd never be able to live with himself if he had given up that little girl.

She looked like Tanya, there was no denying that with her curly blonde hair. She had his eyes, though, those green eyes that seemed to be able to see right through just about anyone. The girl had good intuition and to his surprise, she was very cautious of new people—except when the new people had a puppy. She was a happy child and very friendly but she just took awhile to open up and not be shy. His mom loved her and babysat for him three days a week. Kaley went to daycare the two other days. Just yesterday, his mom had broken the news that she wanted to go back to work—something she didn't need to do but wanted to do. She was a pediatrics nurse—it was how she had met his father—who was a pediatrician. On the already tight budget they were living on, he didn't know what he was going to do.

These were the nights he longed to have someone there to make the tough decisions with. He dreamt of the day when he'd sit down across from his partner as they discussed what would be best for their children and their family as a whole. Tanya tried to talk to him, tried to tell him that she wanted him back, but he didn't trust her and didn't want her close to Kaley. Tanya was a bit of a free spirit and he knew that while she was good in bed, she wasn't meant to be a long term wife or mother. He suspected it was more about playing house than actually taking care of one. There was no way he was letting his daughter become attached to her just so she could take off with someone new in a few months.

His phone beeped, alerting him that he had a text message. He pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly exhausted, and flipped it open. Sure enough, it was from her. **Hey, Edward. I just wanted to know if maybe you wanted to get drinks tomorrow night? **He sighed and was just about to tell her he couldn't because he had a child to take care of, he realized that he was actually supposed to be going out with the guys the next night and had forgotten to find a sitter. Cursing under his breath, he saw that it was only nine thirty and called Esme.

"Mom? Hey, do you and dad have any plans tomorrow night?"

"We were going to do some grocery shopping but why?" his mom asked pleasantly.

"Um...they guys from the station wanted me to go out with them for a few drinks tomorrow. It's not a big deal..."

"Edward, we'll be happy to take her. Really. It's been so long since you've gotten out, just go have fun. Why don't we keep her overnight?"

"I don't...I'll be home early. I don't plan to drink much and on the weekends she usually stays up until about ten thirty. I'll pick her up by ten. Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes! Do you want me to get her from daycare tomorrow?"

"No. I'll get her. I'll drop her off about six after I get her some dinner."

"Alright, see you then!"

They were just about to get off the phone when things went into chaos—but it was chaos that they were used to—organized chaos. The sirens went off, automatically bringing him into a straight up sitting position. "Do you hear them?" his mom asked.

"Yeah, I have to go, Rose will be here any minute..."

"Edward, be careful!"

"I will. Love you, mom!"

He hung up and made his way to the bedroom, throwing on a pair of jeans and his blue station shirt, he cracked open Kaley's door to make sure she was still asleep. Satisfied that she'd be okay, he grabbed the baby monitor and bolted outside. Emmett lived three miles away from him and about five from the station. Standing at the end of the sidewalk, waiting for Em to show, he began pacing. This was always the most stressful time for him. If the alarm sounded six times that usually meant a car accident. If it went eight that meant fire. More often than not, he forgot to count them, his first instinct always to check in on his daughter.

Lights came bouncing down the road towards him as he ran his fingers through his hair and prayed whatever emergency had occurred was just a simple fender bender or maybe a bonfire just a little out of control. He glanced over at his new neighbor's house and saw that there were still lights on, wondering what she was doing up so late, and then realizing it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. The second the large black truck stopped in front of him, he heard heels clicking and saw Rose come around the front towards him. As was tradition, she gave him a quick hug, a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the monitor, and told him to be safe. The last thought on Edward's mind as Emmett filled him in on just how bad the scene was on the highway where two cars had slammed into each other, was the fact that he hadn't bothered to text Tanya back. He smiled to himself, knowing that he was finally over her. He just prayed it would stay that way.

**Please let me know what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 2**

Bella Swan looked out the window of her tiny new home and wondered what the hell her neighbor was doing outside, ripping his hair out, and waving around what looked like a baby monitor at ten o'clock at night. She shook her head and was about to let Peanut out one last time before she headed to bed when a big truck came flying down the road and stopped at his house. She began to worry, wondering if something bad had happened, if maybe he needed help. About to open the door and see if there was anything she could do, her hand dropped from the knob as she watched a pretty blonde jump out and run towards him.

The girl hugged him close and kissed him on the cheek before taking the monitor and heading into the house. _That must be Kaley's mother. _It made sense to her, he probably just worked nights or something and was headed off to work. Maybe she was just a bitch who was late getting home and Bella found herself wishing she could punch this girl she didn't even know. In the time it took for the events to unfold, everything became quiet outside and she let the anxious Peanut outside.

Bella was excited to have the opportunity to live away from home but it definitely had its downfalls. The main one being that Jake wasn't only a soup can telephone length away from her anymore. The second was that she already missed her mom. While her family was from Seattle and the University of Washington at Forks was three hours away, Bella had decided to spend her senior year of college away from home. Her old school had been nice but she wanted to be closer to her best friend.

In the past years, two deaths in the family had torn her parent's relationship apart. A set of parents who never fought was what Bella had expected for the rest of her life. Now, they were constantly bickering and she just couldn't take it anymore. On-campus housing was expensive so she'd started to look around at different houses she could rent. When this one came up, she jumped at it. The couple was older and it seemed they really just needed someone to take care of it over the next few months until they could find a buyer. So, here she was, living in a house three hours from home and beginning her senior year of college come Monday on a new campus.

This semester seemed to turn out well. There were a couple early morning classes but on other days, she only had a night class and a pre-student teaching day and that was it. She'd gotten her pre-student teaching placement for the semester and was assigned to a local district. After letting Peanut in, she sat down to get to work on some activities she could do with the kids. Elementary Education could be demanding but it was more than worth it. She knew how important it was for kids to have families to do things with them but knew that not many did. Her thoughts traveled to the adorable little blonde who had tried to catch her super hyper Yorkie.

Obviously, the little girl was happy and well cared for—and she loved her father. The man was older than her, maybe in his late twenties but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to him. While the little girl was blonde, he had light brown hair and she could have sworn she saw a little red mixed in. His eyes were the same color as his daughters and the thought of his muscular arms wrapped around the little girl made her wish she was the one wrapped in them.

She loved Jacob but it wasn't the knock down, drag out, I-want-to-have-your-babies type of love she'd been waiting to feel. They'd grown up together and over the past couple years, he made sure she knew that he wanted more. He was always sweet to her, never demanding, but she knew she couldn't return the feelings. In fact, she really hadn't felt that strongly about anyone. Sure she had boyfriends in high school but nothing ever felt long term to her. Those guys were more just friends who liked to spend time with her...and sometimes make out. Being the police chiefs daughter definitely made the boys at her school think twice but it was fine with her. She was more about school than boys anyway. Between volunteering at youth fairs and working part-time at the local library, Bella was busy. That's why it shocked her how instantly attracted to the man next door she was.

Grabbing her cell phone, she saw that there was a text from Alice. Alice Brandon was her best friend. The girl literally lived with Bella for a summer before they went into fourth grade when Alice's mother died. Her father was a raging alcoholic and Bella would never forget the night her father brought Alice home with him and introduced them. They hadn't really known each other then but were soon inseparable. **Meet any cute college boys?**

Bella laughed to herself and thought of her neighbor. She tried to figure out if he fit into Alice's category of 'boys' and decided he probably didn't. Alice wanted a frat boy...or a whole fraternity of frat boys. Her neighbor with a child definitely did not qualify. **Maybe. Let's go out for my birthday this weekend and you can see them for yourself ;)**

Alice didn't even hesitate. **Time and place. I'll bring the Jacob :)**

Bella realized that she really wasn't familiar with the area so she told her to meet her at five, that they could get dinner and then find somewhere to go. Alice was going to the art school ten minutes away from UFW where she studied art. The art school was starting two weeks later than her but Alice planned to move in with Bella when the time came.

Plopping down onto her bed done up in new sheets and a soft downy mattress cover, Bella closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. She planned to mow her grass—something she'd never had to do before, unpack, and find a local library tomorrow. She needed extra money for books and rent and really missed her job back home. She had just closed her eyes when she heard a car door open and shut. Frustrated with the voices she heard outside, Bella grabbed her I-pod from the bed stand and she stuck in the ear buds.

Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie all sat around Edward's kitchen drinking beer. It had become a tradition started by Rosalie ever since Kaley was an infant. The first few weeks he'd worked at the station with Emmett, he'd tried to take her to his mom and dad's before leaving for the call. Rosalie, one of his oldest friends, had mentioned to him one night that she could just come with Em who'd pick him up and she would take care of Kaley while they were gone. He suspected it gave her something to do to keep her mind busy instead of worrying over them. She had introduced him to Emmett about a month before his daughter was born and he signed on to volunteer a week later.

The guys always came back needing to unwind a bit and he suspected Rosalie just wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself. Hence, the two beer tradition they were partaking in at midnight on a weeknight. "So, you coming out with us tomorrow?"

"Actually, yeah. I am. I'm not so sure about leaving Kaley after her being in daycare all day but I'll go for a couple hours. Mom's going to take her and I'll pick her up on my way home."

"Edward, you haven't been out with us in months! Just let her stay over with your mom. Come on, I'll be dd. Please?" Rose pouted and he saw Emmett shake his head out of the corner of his eye.

"You can't argue with her, Edward. Come on. One night."

"I'll think about it," he said, taking Emmett's second empty and throwing it away. Tossing it into the trash, he said quietly, "Tanya's trying to get a hold of me. She wants to get drinks tomorrow."

"Don't do it," Emmett said firmly.

"You can't. Think about what that bitch did to you! Think about Kaley!"

"Rose, I know. I'm ignoring her. It's just a matter of time before she realizes she can find someone better and take off again with Fernando...or whatever the hell that guy's name was in Mexico."

"Stay strong. You could do so much better than her...and so can our little angel. Kaley doesn't deserve Tanya's bullshit."

Six am had come way earlier than he would have liked. Fighting sleep, Edward pulled himself up and smacked the alarm clock practically off the small table beside the bed. As was normal, Kaley was still sound asleep. He made them breakfast, got her up, dressed her, and got her ready for daycare. He grabbed his keys and headed out, princess book bag in one arm and Kaley in the other.

At lunchtime, Emmett asked him if they could meet up before going to the station. Edward usually came home in between anyway to grab lunch so he invited him over after stopping to pick up a couple sandwiches. Edward arrived first, carrying things out to eat at the picnic table, when he saw her. His mystery girl was lying on a folding lounger with a pile of books beside her. She wasn't reading only one, choosing one after another off the pile and flipping through it.

It wasn't the books that had him so worked up, oh no. It was the tiny purple tank top that showed off just enough of her cleavage to make him feel like one of those cartoon characters that have their eyes pop out of their heads. The word pervert came to mind again.

"Quit checking out the jail bait next door," Emmett said from behind him and Edward didn't even need to turn around—he knew his friend was smirking.

"Shut up..."

"I can't blame you, man. You haven't had sex in what? Two? Three months?"

"You're funny...and an asshole." Emmett knew damn well that he hadn't been with anyone since he had gotten bored with one night stands over a year ago. "And really? Jail bait?"

"Dude, look at her. She's probably a college freshman."

"That doesn't mean she's not eighteen..."

"No, but it probably means that she's not twenty-one. You get caught drinking anywhere in her general vicinity and bam...supplying alcohol to minors that's what? Three years in prison?"

"Ugh...it doesn't work quite that way, Em..."

"Does it matter? I mean, she's a very fine replacement for Esther if I do say so myself...don't tell Rose I said that...but she even looks like a teenager still. She's young."

"I'm aware of that, alright? Just drop it. So what if I ogle her once in awhile?"

"Fine. Subject dropped. I still think we need to get you laid. Which is kind of why I'm here. Tanya..."

"Woah. I never want to hear you discuss my getting laid and Tanya in the same string of sentences, hell in the same string of paragraphs, ever again."

"Would you just listen to me? Tanya ran into Jasper yesterday evening. She was asking about you and trying to get any info she could from him, I guess she's staying with Carmen. He kept quiet but it's obvious she's going to start something with you..."

"No, she's not. For the hundredth time, Em, that woman is getting nowhere near my Kaley. Which funny you should mention her asking about me because she hasn't asked anyone, not even me, one damn thing about my little girl. Anyone who wants me has to want Kaley, too."

"Edward, I know you didn't mean that in a sexual way which is exactly the point I'm trying to make. I think you keep psyching yourself out, convince yourself that you're basically celibate because of not being able to find someone who will accept that you have Kaley. Just find a girl and do it. Literally. Do it."

"Em, it's not that easy..."

His frustrated explanation was interrupted with sounds of the pull on a lawn mower being ripped upwards on a stubborn machine which refused to start up. Both guys glanced over at the girl. She was bent over, of course, facing away from them, trying to figure out what was wrong with her lawn mover. The short black shorts she wore made Edward realize he'd have to wait a good many minutes before he could stand up and not have Emmett notice the effect this was having on him.

Emmett laughed and like the good husband that he was, went back to his sandwich and messing with his phone. "She is a nice piece of ass, though, Eddy boy."

Kicking the damn red lawn mover, Bella groaned from the pain and dance around for a couple seconds before trying to add more gas. What she really wanted to do was pour the whole container out and burn the damn machine. Just about to put it away, figuring she'd let Jake deal with it the next day, a voice from behind her asked, "Do you need some help?"

She immediately recognized it as the voice of her mystery man—the same voice she'd been fantasizing about for the past almost twenty-four hours. "Actually, I think I'm giving up. Thanks, though."

"Here. Just let me see it."

He came closer and reached for the pull chord. It took him three tries but he eventually got it running. "Thanks!" she shouted, realizing how difficult it was to talk with the loud motor running. He must have been thinking the same thing because he gave her a small smile, yelled "No problem" and walked away. She shook her head at how ridiculous this was, and the fact that there was another man watching her as well, made her face turn red. Pushing the mower went great. The yard was pretty small and it took her about twenty minutes to do the whole thing—it would have taken her less had she gotten it started on her own ten minutes before Edward did it. The only problem was the large hill directly behind the house. It was steep and while she tried to go up the embankment, she was definitely not strong enough to push it.

Standing back and sizing it up, Bella took a deep breath before striding towards it. The mower went up a little, about two feet, but that was as far as she could go before it started to come towards her. "Stop!" she heard someone shout and she switched the machine off completely. Her neighbor was standing there again. She looked towards the house and realized they were alone—and silently thanked God.

"Look, I couldn't help but notice you're having some issues. I used to cut this yard every week for Esther and Allen and I know that hill can be a pain in the ass. Why don't you just let me do it?"

"I don't have a lot of money..." Bella began, wondering if he'd take another form of payment, and then quickly berating herself for even thinking about paying someone with sex. This stranger did that to her and she couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with herself.

"Don't worry about it. I never took money from them...though Esther did make me cookies every year at Christmastime... Anyway, I can come by in a couple hours and finish it for you. I'm supposed to be back at work in about ten minutes but I can come after I pick up Kaley from daycare."

"Um...if you want...I mean...thanks," she began blushing again and tried to keep from rolling her eyes at herself when she realized it. He was wearing a dressy shirt and light pants that screamed office job, complete with cubicle. She wondered what he looked like underneath the stiff clothes and her cheeks became even more red.

"It's no problem. I'll see you around five thirty or so," he said with a smile that melted her heart.

This needed to stop. If he wanted to mow her grass—in the non perverted sense, then fine. If he wanted to be nice to her, then fine. She refused to become a home wrecker as her thoughts traveled to little Kaley. All children deserved to have the best they could and being that her father seemed nice enough, and her mother obviously at least _liked_ her father, it was no wonder that the little girl was so happy. Still, she stared at his perfectly formed butt as he walked away. _You're so going to hell..._

_Ballsy move, Cullen. What? Are you going to work your ass off pushing that damn mower around with your shirt off in an attempt to seduce your jail bait neighbor? _Edward's subconscious rolled it's eyes. At work, he had thirty minutes to kill before he could go to the station and then get Kaley. His thoughts wouldn't stop going to her—the girl he still hadn't gotten a name for. He knew it was a bad idea. There was no way this was _not_ a bad idea. She was young and though chances were she wasn't under eighteen, chances were very good that she wouldn't want some guy who already had a kid. Chances were also very good that she would have ended up with that damn machine on top of her if she kept trying to push it that way.

Emmett had just left when he went to go back to the law firm. He had to have one last look at her and when he did, she almost gave him a heart attack. He'd full out sprinted, yelling for her to stop, yet she kept pushing upwards on the hill once, twice...and then she finally turned towards him. He hadn't meant to scare her but he sure as hell meant to stop her.

After checking email, making two paper deliveries, and rearranging his small cubicle, Edward grabbed his keys and headed out the door. It was late August and the sun was high over head. He found Emmett, Jasper, and Tyler standing by the large fire engines, the bay doors were wide open. When Emmett saw him walk in, he smirked and announced, "I've got to say boys, our friend has himself a very attractive new neighbor. Esther looked good for her being born in 1910 but damn, this girl is..."

"Not your concern," Edward finished for him, "Seriously, Em, back off."

"Dude, she's young but you said it yourself she's probably not under eighteen. That totally gives you the legal right to bang..."

"Stop."

"He's just jealous that married life made it so that he can't partake in the goods of younger women, don't mind him," Jasper said with a laugh.

"Emmett, you're married to Rosalie fucking Hale. I'd give my left ball to come home to that in my bed every night," Tyler jibed.

"Say that again...or even think it, Crowley...and you'll lose _both_ of them. Got it?"

Edward laughed, reaching for a soda in the cooler by the door. "As much as I hate to end this conversation, where are we going tonight and what time do we have to be here tomorrow morning?"

"We're going to Fiddler's Green at 7, then who knows. As for tomorrow, I was think maybe ten am?" Jasper answered.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Are you bringing Kaley? Rose is going to come down. We could cook out after."

"She'll like that. Why don't we do it at my place? That way, come nap time, we'll be fully prepared," he offered.

"I'll let the other guys know," Tyler said, "I'll also tell them to come prepared for nap time. Footy pajamas and all."

Edward jokingly flipped him off and said, "Tell Rose that Kal's is in need of some girl time, Em. I'll pay for it. Anything she wants to do. The look she gives me when the other parents come to pick up their kids about kills me. She always asks why I come alone or why her mommy won't come get her. It's enough to _almost _make me consider allowing Tanya rights..."

"Edward!" Tyler exclaimed, exasperrated, "That bitch is the reason for all of this in the first place. She fucked someone else—while she was pregnant with your baby!"

"Ty, I know, but I have to do what's best for Kaley. I'm not saying that I'm going to call her right now and ask her to move in with us..."

"Do you still love her? At all?"

"No. Shouldn't Kaley at least have the chance to, though?"

"No." Every guy said at once.

"Edward, you are a good guy and your daughter is a freaking angel. Any woman would be stupid not to fall in love with you both. Just give it time. You'll find that perfect person. When it's right with Kaley, then you'll know. Until then, stay the fuck away from your ex-wife," Jasper pleaded.

"Daddy!" Kaley exlaimed for the eighth time since they had pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

"Kaley!" he exclaimed back, keeping the game going. "When we get home, daddy is going to help mow grass. Will you sit in the grass and watch?"

"Edder!"

"No, Esther moved away, little bug. I promise that you'll be able to see me. You can look at some books until I'm done."

"Books!"

Edward laughed, knowing she'd be fine. That was the thing about Kaley, she was very independent—as long as he was in seeing distance. Lord knows, she didn't get that from Tanya. If there was one thing he knew about his ex was that she was ridiculously clingy. It was one thing for her to not want him to go out every weekend or to worry about him driving long distances. Tanya was a different worrier altogether. She was the type that checked his shirts for lipstick stains and strange perfume. Ironic, considering he was that one that got played in the end.

He pulled into the driveway and unbuckled Kaley who was once again babbling away. "Dadadada..."

After making her fish sticks and grabbing some books, he brought her out to her little picnic table, which he moved as close to the spot he'd be working as he could without her being in danger of flying pieces from the mower. Walking up to the girl's front door, he knocked and was surprised when the door opened immediately.

"Hey, just wondering if it was okay for me to get the mower out of your shed."

"Go for it. Here's the key," she said, handing him a keyring. While he expected her to go in and leave him to it, he saw her heading towards Kaley after he pulled the machine out. An uneasy feeling came but soon went away. The girl was a stranger and it took him a few minutes to convince himself that he was right there and the girl wasn't going to harm his daughter. In fact, Kaley was smiling shyly at her from the small, pink picnic table.

As soon as he saw Kaley giggle at something the girl said, he got to work. Cutting grass was always relaxing to him and he found his mind wondering...for the worst. _He could imagine coming home from work as the girl sat on the floor playing with Kaley. He'd cook them dinner and as soon as Kaley was down for the night he'd..._that's when he heard it. A shrill giggle from across the yard so loud it could be heard over the loud motor. Turning, he saw his daughter sitting on the girl's lap, being read to from a book. Suddenly, he had the overwhelming urge to finish the job so he could talk to the girl who was given just that...the title of 'the girl'.

"Daddy!" Kaley exclaimed and he couldn't help but smile like a big idiot. The little girl had done that to him since he left the hospital with her.

The girl who didn't have a name looked up at him, as if caught doing something she shouldn't before maneuvering the little girl off of her lap, much to Kaley's frustration. He watched his little angel turn into a very cranky little angel in less than a minute. He was about to reach for her when his neighbor picked her up and began rocking her back and forth. "I'll be right back," he said, heading to go put the mower away so that he could take his daughter home to get a nap.

A minute later, he was shocked beyond belief. Kaley wouldn't even sleep for his mom—unless she literally passed out somewhere on her own. It wasn't uncommon for her to run and run before they would find her sleeping under the dining room table. Now, she was lying against the girl's chest, her mouth open as she snored gently. "I'm sorry," the girl said, looking up at him.

"Don't be. Really. She's usually not that...attachable...to people. I'm surprised she even let you hold her like that." After awhile, he looked down and said, "I don't recognize that book..."

"Mine by Leo Lionni? Yeah, I brought it out with me. I thought you saw me carrying it...I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I should be the one saying I'm sorry. I'll take her..."

"She really liked this book and I have a bunch more by him...so I could bring them over sometime...she could keep them."

"Do you have children?" Edward asked, suddenly wondering if that would be a good thing or a bad thing before he internally smacked himself for thinking it would matter.

"No. I'm an El. Ed. Major. Children's literature is kind of in my job description..." her voice trailed off as she looked behind him, "sorry, I have to go. I have friends staying the weekend and they just pulled in. Let me know when a good time to drop those books off would be..."

He took Kaley from her and tried not to wake her up as he grappled with the fact that the girl was leaving. "Tomorrow! I'm having a cookout. You should come...bring your friends with you!"

"Okay!" she called, already walking over to her friend's car.

"Wait...I never got your name!"

That got her to stop, turning towards him, she laughed softly and he wanted to kiss the mouth that sound came out of. "Isabella!" Edward watched as Isabella turned and walked right into her friends open arms, the same arms that had carried in her boxes the day before. He frowned and wanted to kick himself for ever thinking there could be something between them. She was young enough that there was no way she would want to be tied down with a kid. He hated when Emmett was right.

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews and alerts! I was absolutely shocked to see that I'd gotten so many within the first hour of posting! I love you guys! Keep it up with the reviews this chapter and I'll be sure to update tomorrow morning ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 3**

"Edward, look at me. You deserve a night out. Go have fun and you can come pick her up tomorrow morning. If you want to come back here and sleep that's fine, too. I know you worry when you are away from her," Esme's voice was still the most soothing sound Edward had ever heard. The woman should do infomercials for those weird cd's people played while they tried to fall asleep. _Who the hell wants to hear whale cries all night, anyway?_

"Well, if I'm still sober at ten, I'm coming to get her. If not...then...I guess I'll be down to pick her up tomorrow. It'll be early. We're going to go to the station and then we're all having a cookout at my place. You and dad should come."

"Sounds fun. Want me to bring anything?"

"Um...how about the ever famous Esme Cullen chocolate chip cookies?"

Laughing, Esme agreed and kissed him on the cheek—after trying to get his unmanageable hair to behave itself. Just then, his father came in, carrying Kaley on his shoulders and making plane noises. "Daddy!"

"I love how she announces your presence every time she sees you," Carlisle mused.

Edward just shook his head and lifted her off her grandfather. "I love you, little bug. I need you to be good for pappy and grammy and tomorrow we can have people come visit at our house."

"Is'bella!" she exclaimed.

Edward was taken aback, surprised she remembered her name from the one time Isabella yelled it to them less than an hour ago. "She might be there..."

"Who's Isabella?" his mom asked, raising an eyebrow—he knew that look.

"The new neighbor. She's renting Esther and Alan's house. She read to Kaley while I helped her cut that hill that Alan always needed me to do." His mom was still giving him that look and not saying anything so he rolled his eyes and took that as a cue to leave. One more kiss on Kaley's cheek and he was out the door.

Edward kept saying her name over and over in his head. _Isabella. Isabella. _The more it was said, the more he was starting to get turned on just thinking about it. It was perfect for her, old-fashioned but not outdated. _Isabella. _He thought of a princess when he heard that name. _Princess Isabella._ That's where he wished for a beer and pushed down a little harder on the accelerator. _You seriously need to stop watching those Disney movies with Kaley. Princess Isabella? Really?_

By the time he arrived at Fiddler's Green, a little hole in the wall that offered over five hundred flavors of wings—some like strawberry and chocolate were just not normal—he saw the other guys gathered around a few tables in the back. The building was originally an old garage and when it was bought, the owner added on to it. The place was rather big, which was a good thing, considering that night was dollar draft night. Forks wasn't very big but going to this bar on Friday night guaranteed a packed place-and slow service—which was exactly why it was also perfect for local college students. He couldn't remember ever being carded there. He sunk down into a chair between Emmett and Jasper, who immediately signaled to a waitress and ordered him a lot more than a beer. She came back seconds later with three tumblers of something black colored, a beer, and a clear shot of something. It was going to be a long night.

As soon as he smelled his tumbler, he knew exactly what it was—a Jager bomb. "Bottoms up, boys!" Emmett boomed as they clinked glasses and slammed them down. After a chaser of MGD, Jasper set the clear shot in front of him. "To Tanya, and seeing right through all her bullshit!"

Edward laughed and threw that one back as well. He heard Emmett chuckle, "Nicely done, Jazz. Very poetic with the clear liquid...seeing right through..."

"Only you would have to point it out, Em. I'm actually kind of surprised you got it..."

"Shut it, Whitlock!" Emmett said, trying to looked pissed off through his smile.

Edward took another swig of his beer and reached for the menu, trying to decide what flavor he should get of wings when he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. He'd recognize the guy anywhere—it was the bastard who was trying to pretend he didn't want into Isabella's pants. Sure enough, he was standing at he bar, his arm resting against Isabella's back as he held onto the bar on the other side of her with his hand. Another girl with chestnut brown hair paid for a round of shots and handed one to each of them—he recognized her as the other friend that had interrupted their talk earlier that day.

Isabella looked like your typical college student on a Friday night out. She had on a pair of skinny jeans that could bring a man to his knees with a blue lace tank top underneath a lacy black jacket looking thing. Her hair fell in banana curls all the way to her mid-back...right where Asshole's arm was. While just about everyone was wearing similar attire, something about her made the dingy little bar look not so dingy. What he wanted to do was walk up to them, knock the asshole out, and take her against the bar. Then, he reminded himself that he had a two year old at home and couldn't spend time in jail for aggravated assault—or public indecency.

Emmett must have investigated what he was looking at because he bellowed, "Ah...the jail bait mystery girl..."

"Would you stop?" Edward pleaded, grabbing his beer as Jasper asked who it was.

Of course, Emmett took the opportunity to point their little group out and thankfully, when Edward looked over, the asshole had removed his arm and was now buying another round of shots. Isabella was definitely tipsy...not quite sloshed yet, though. He stared at her as Jasper asked about the 'little one with the short, dark hair'. "I don't know," Emmett responded as he stood up, "but I'm going to buy the new girl a little welcome to the neighborhood drink."

Edward knew what he was trying to do. He wanted Edward to tell him not to, that he wanted to do it. He was trying to mess with his head, get him to admit that he wanted her. Briefly, Edward wondered what grade of high school Emmett seemed to be stuck in but he held his ground. Naturally, that would be when Rosalie walked through the doors. Edward waved her over and she pointed behind her with her thumb, "What the hell is he doing?"

"Buying three college kids a round," Tyler laughed.

"Do I want to know?" Rose sighed, kissing Edward on the cheek before grabbing his menu and sitting down to look.

"No," Jasper smiled, "I think he's trying to make Edward jealous..."

"Is it working?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, just like his mother had done earlier.

"No," was all Edward said before finishing off his beer and asking for another. "That's my new neighbor. The one in the blue."

"She's cute...and drunk," Rose cringed when she turned to look at her.

"I noticed..."

He was interrupted by Emmett's loud, booming voice, "This little thing's birthday is today! Let's show her a little Forks, Washington hospitality!"

"Oh, God," Rose cringed again, putting her face in her hands in mock embarrassment—though Edward wondered how much of it was actually mock.

Edward ordered another beer and asked for two shots of Cuervo. When the waitress handed them over, he placed one in front of Rosalie, "We're going to need these."

Rosalie nodded in agreement and did a toast, "To my obnoxious husband and your obnoxious best friend. God help us!"

He could definitely drink to that but when Emmett came back over he shook his head, "Yeah, go ahead and get the already trashed girl more alcohol. That's responsible of you..."

"Loosen up. What do you want to drink? Name it and I'll buy."

"I need to slow down. I'm picking Kal's up from my mom's in a few hours."

Rosalie turned to him, obviously about to protest but he put up a hand. "You two drink. One of us has to be responsible." It took him a minute, and a look from Rose, to realize he had slurred the word responsible.

Twenty minutes later, he was walking out of the bathroom when he bumped into the asshole himself. "Sorry man...hey, aren't you friends with my neighbor?" Edward tried to be polite but he really wanted information on Isabella.

"Who? Bells? Oh, yeah, you're the guy who cut the grass. Thanks, buddy. I know she needs an extra set of muscles when I'm not around..."

The way he said it, so cocky that Edward clenched his fists, made Edward also bite his tongue. _Bells? _The words_, I'll take care of her anytime you're not around _ came to mind but he pushed them away, reminding himself that jail was not a good place for him at the moment. "Jake, there you are! Hey, Ally wants to head out to a different bar. You're the best one for driving right now..." Isabella stopped in front of them and smiled when she saw Edward, "Hey, neighbor!"

"Hey, Bells!" he grinned cheerfully, knowing he was pissing off _Jake_.

"Oh my, God! I never did get your name," she said bashfully.

"Edward. Edward Cullen."

"Do you go by Ed? Eddy?"

"Nope, just Edward."

"Well, you can call me Bella. Everyone just calls me that. Isabella is like something from a bad romantic medieval movie."

"Bells, let's go. Ally's already waiting by the door," the guy name Jake said, taking her hand.

"Alright. Well, it was nice seeing you again, Edward Cullen."

Edward looked at his watch. He had a little while before he had to pick up Kaley and quite honestly could go for another two...or eight beers after that little exchange with Jake. He headed to the bar where Tyler stood and ordered another beer, promising himself that it would be his last.

Edward was being carried by Jasper and Emmett out the doors of Fiddler's Green. Rosalie was in front of them and as soon as she turned to see how they were coming along, muttered an 'Uh-oh'. He heard Emmett sigh and turn him towards the bushes. If the wings tasted amazing going down, they tasted like garlic stomach bile coming back up. There was somewhere he had to be...but he couldn't remember where that was. His phone was vibrating in his pocket and as he was loaded into the back of Emmett's Jeep, he peered at it, trying to get the letters and numbers to stop moving. "Fuck!" he said loudly, which was completely out of character for him and got his friends' attention.

"What's wrong, man?"

"My wife."

Rosalie immediately grabbed the phone off of him and read the text. "Rose, give it back," Edward slurred, "I have to...to text back..."

"Oh, no. You are not drunk texting that whore. Drunk texting her is worse for you than drunk driving. Forget it."

"Shit! Kaley! Oh, God. Emmett, I need to go get Kaley!"

"I already called Esme. Relax. It's two am. She's been in bed for hours now. Remember? You even talked to her around ten thirty..."

"I don't feel so good."

"Em...pull over!" Jasper said, sliding as close to the window as he could get.

Bella woke up the next morning and groaned. What happened last night was something that had only happened to her one other time in her entire life—the day her grandfather died, the night before his funeral, she had gotten so trashed, Jake had to carry her to bed. Last night, after having such an awful year, she was ready to put everything behind her and start fresh. Peanut was lying on the floor by the bed, rolling around and making little noises to inform her he needed to be let out. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over to see what time it was and had to stop herself from letting out a scream. He was in bed with her. Her best friend since they were in diapers was now shirtless in her bed. Panic set in as she got tangled up in the sheets, trying to stand up, and ended up falling. She hadn't intended to wake him up but it definitely turned out to be the result.

"Bells? What time is it? Why are you on the floor?"

"I...I...fell." _Why are you in my bed? _"Um, I'll be back!"

Racing out of the room, she was relieved to find that she was still fully clothed. _I would know if I lost my virginity. I'd have to know! _"Alice!" Bella screeched before trying to calm herself down. She found Alice in the kitchen.

"Bella, what..."

"Jake. I woke up in bed with Jake!"

"You woke up _fully clothed_ in bed with Jake. Relax, Bells. Last night you two were so drunk I had to ask that guy who keeps referring to you as a neighbor get you both into the house. He's very loud, that guy..."

"Focus. What happened after we got home?"

"You fought with us, saying that one of us could have your bed. You were drunkenly adamant and after ten minutes, I told the big guy to take Jake to your room. I got you situated on the pullout couch and ended up sleeping with you. You got up around four and crawled to your room. You have your clothes on so I just let you go. You didn't have sex with him."

"Sex with who?" Jake asked, coming down the stairs with a confused expression.

"Don't worry about it," Bella said, suddenly able to relax. "By the way, we were invited to a cookout."

"Where?"

"Over at the neighbors...shit! Alice, you mean to tell me he carried me in here last night? I was really that drunk in front of him?"

"Does it matter?" Jake asked, obviously more annoyed than Bella—but definitely not as mortified.

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed. "He has a daughter and..."

"Oh, no. Not that one," Alice said, laughing, "his friend. The big, loud one. Not the one with the little girl."

"Oh," Bella sighed, feeling only slightly better about the situation.

"In fact, the big one was carrying the guy with the kid into the house last night as well. The woman told us that they had to stop three times on the way home for him to puke," Jake added.

"Ew...thanks for that," Bella cringed.

"Can we please stop using nicknames. Do we know _any_ of their names?"

"Edward and Kaley are the father and daughter. I didn't get anyone else's names."

"Edward...yeah...he was the one that puked on his sidewalk last night..." Alice commented.

"Ew...another thanks, Al."

"Don't go getting all high and mighty, you have a porch that needs hosed down today..."

Edward woke up around eight am when his alarm clock went off. He immediately reset it for nine and went back to sleep. When nine thirty came, he forced himself out of bed and sat on the edge, rubbing his face and cursing himself out for the night before. On his bedside table was a note from Rosalie. **Drink the water—you have to be dehydrated. These are two aspirin, take them. I have your phone and Esme has your daughter. See you tomorrow, sunshine :) PS Emmett never did ask 'Bells' to come 'cuddle' with you in your bed—even though you were strongly for it.**

Well, that didn't sound good—at all. After taking the pills and chugging a bottle and half of water—Rose left him three but he thought that was overdoing it—he stumbled into the bathroom. He wasn't really one for hangovers but today his head was definitely pounding. He had to get Kaley and be at the station in twenty five minutes and he looked like death. As if on cue, the land line began to ring and he practically ran to pick it up, wanting the noise to stop.

"Hey, hon, Rose told me about last night. I just wanted to make sure you're up."

"I'm up," he said, obviously not completely awake.

"Do you want me to bring her to you?"

"No, I'll be there in like fifteen minutes. Just get her dressed and ready. Did everything go okay last night? Did she sleep through the night? Did she get scared? When did..."

"Edward, you sound like a worried old woman. Your daughter is fine. I'll see you soon."

He arrived at Esme's at 9:50 on the dot and as soon as his car pulled in, his little girl flung the front door open and screamed for him. The excitement was so clear on her face that he practically ran to her before scooping her into a tight hug. "I missed you, Kal's. Come on, let's tell grammy and pappy goodbye and we'll go see the firetrucks."

His mom was standing in the doorway and she gave Kaley one last hug before handing her back to Edward. "So, everything went well?"

"Yes. You know, you could have a little more confidence in your parents' ability to raise a child," she said, trying to sound irritated but not quite able to pull it off. "There is one thing, though. I figured I should tell you..."

"What? What's wrong?" Edward asked, suddenly worried again.

"Your little girl has been saying the name Isabella since you dropped her off..."

"I don't know why. Kaley was only around Bella for a few minutes yesterday."

"Bella? What happened to Isabella?"

"It's shortened."

His mother gave him that look again and he shook his head. Grabbing the princess duffel bag, he threw it over his shoulder and carried Kaley out to the car. Once her seat was buckled, they pulled out and he thought of what all he'd said last night...at least what he could remember of it. From the back seat, he heard Kaley giggle and blabber on about 'her Is'bella.'

**I am loving all the great responses I'm getting for this story! I'm trying to message back everyone who reviews so be patient! Let me know what you think—and how much you love Kaley ;) LP xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 4**

The cookout was going exceptionally well, except for the fact that he felt like Bella was tiptoeing around trying to avoid him. Eventually, he gave in and sat on the seat beside her. She was reading an e-book and he watched the condensation on her wine cooler that she was barely drinking. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked her quietly, knowing she didn't realize he was there and not wanting to scare her.

Her head shot up and he smiled. "We have hamburgers, hot dogs, and about a hundred different salads—Rose went a little overboard..."

"Rose?"

"Yeah, the tall blonde over there holding Kaley." Kaley had fallen asleep on the ride home and she fussed when he tried to set her down. His only option for a chance to work the grill was handing her off to Rosalie.

"She's beautiful."

"I know. She's my entire life."

Bella looked at him, taken aback by his feelings towards his wife. Glancing down at his hand, she noticed he wasn't wearing a ring. "You're not married?"

"No. Well, kind of. It's complicated."

"It's good that you two get along so well for Kaley's sake. She's absolutely beautiful..."

"Wait, no. _No,_" Edward said, embarrassed, "Rosalie and I...we're not..."

Immediately he saw Bella's face turn bright red as she brought her hand to her mouth, "I didn't...I just assumed...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Rosalie is one of my best friends, she's married to Emmett, the big guy standing by the grill."

"I guess I sort of saw her when she showed up at your place the other night and then last night she kissed your cheek and wow...I sound like I'm stalking you...I swear I'm not a creeper..."

Edward had to laugh at her inability to filter what was coming out of her mouth, he found it adorable. "I'm a volunteer firefighter. Emmett picks me up when there's a call and Rose stays with Kaley. The kiss last night was harmless."

"You don't need to explain yourself. So, you're raising Kaley on your own?"

"Yup. Full time single dad."

"No breaks? Not the whole every other weekend scenario?"

"Nope. It's just been me and her since three days after she was born when I brought her home from the hospital."

"She loves you very much. I've been working with kids all my life and I've never seen a little girl who loves her father as much as her." Edward knew she really wanted to ask the question that everyone asked him—what happened to her mother—but she tactfully didn't and he found himself wanting to kiss her all over again. "I'm sorry if I said anything embarrassing last night. I never drink like that but I was celebrating my birthday."

"You're 21?"

"22. I'm a senior at UFW." Edward's heart sped up and he couldn't wait to break the news to Emmett—22 and 27 weren't that different.

Just then, his little blonde game sprinting towards him, begging to be held. He picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey, little bug. Daddy's right here."

"Is'bella!" she cried, reaching out to Bella—and completely forgetting Edward was even there.

"Hi, Kaley," Bella said, taking her without a second thought and placing her on her lap. "Did you get your fingernails painted?"

Rosalie had painted her nails about two weeks ago and the light pink paint had begun to chip off. "Aunt Rose did it."

"They're very pretty!"

"Thank you," Kaley said in her little voice.

"Why don't we get you something to eat. You fell asleep at the station. How about a hot dog."

"No," Kaley said, reaching for Bella again when he tried to take her.

Bella laughed, "Come on. I'll eat one with you, how about that?"

"Where are your friends?" Edward asked as he got them both plates while Bella held his daughter.

"Jake is sleeping off last night and Alice is over there talking to Emmett and the blonde guy."

"Jasper. He's a good guy, definitely much more tame than Emmett." He finished filling their plates, taking orders from Bella. "Follow me, we'll sit over here and I'll introduce you."

"Guys, this is Bella..." he stopped, embarrassed that he didn't get her last name.

"Swan."

"Bella Swan, my new neighbor."

"We've met!" Emmett said, waving him off and hugging her and Kaley both to his massive chest. When he let go, Jasper gave a polite nod and told her it was nice meeting her. Tyler and the other guys said hello. Rosalie was the only one who didn't say anything. Edward tried to brush it off but knew that there was definite tension. Briefly, he wondered if it bothered her that Emmett had bought Bella drinks last night. Bella had to have noticed it too but went to sit down anyway and Edward put both plates in front of her as Alice sat down with a plate of her own. "Hi, sweetheart. I'm Alice, what's your name?"

"Kawey," Kaley said, taking a bite.

"That's a pretty name."

Edward stayed to make sure they'd be okay before heading over to talk to Tyler and Jasper. "She's hot, Edward."

"Thank you for confirming that, Ty."

"You're welcome," he said with a grin.

The little girl continued to chew her food and Alice looked up at Bella mouthing 'Oh my God, he's hot!' Laughing, she rocked Kaley on her lap, and mouthed back 'I know.'

It had been a little awkward when she'd first gotten there, she hadn't known anyone except Edward and he had been grilling and checking on Kaley—who Rosalie had been holding. It was definitely a positive that he wasn't married—or even seeing—the beautiful woman but she knew that the woman didn't like her. Edward, God bless him, tried to act like nothing was wrong and she went with it. Really, she wanted to bluntly just ask what her problem was.

The truth was nothing could happen between her and Edward either way. He had a child and was older and...he was so sexy Bella still had to refrain from reaching out to touch him during conversations. All she wanted to do, she would literally waste time thinking about it, was run her fingers over his arms before kissing him. There was no way he'd want the same thing. She was just a college student who was briefly renting a house beside him.

His little girl had started to grow on her already. It was hard not to fall in love with someone so adorable. She couldn't imagine raising a child by herself and couldn't stop wondering what happened to Kaley's mother. The only answer she could come up with would be a health problem, that she had died, possibly while giving birth. It broke her heart to think that neither one of them had someone to love them the way a wife and mother was supposed to, they were both amazing. Edward had made it clear, even through his nonverbal cues that his little girl was everything to him. Kaley had made it just as clear that she was absolutely taken with her father...and wrapped around his little finger.

Her little fingers touching Bella's cheek made Bella smile and move to kiss the little digits. Kaley squealed in delight and put down the hotdog, reaching for Bella's shoulders. She saw Alice watching them adoringly and shook her head as she hugged the little girl. Looking around the party, she spotted Edward, who was sitting in the grass spotting her. The easy smile on his face made her want to jump his bones and gently kiss him at the same time. She absolutely had to get over this. She didn't even know him—he could have murdered his wife and chopped her into little pieces.

"Bella? Earth to Bella!" Jake's voice tore through her inner ramblings and she smiled up at him.

"Hey, all rested up?"

"I'm feeling much better. What's on the agenda for tonight?"

She rolled her eyes and looked down, noticing Kaley was playing with one of her curls. "What do you two want to do?"

"Another bar? We barely made it out of the second one last night. This is a college town, I'm sure there are many more to try out."

"There are," Alice confirmed.

Their discussion was interrupted by the shutting of a car door and Emmett's booming voice. "Mr. and Mrs. C!"

Bella went along talking with Alice and Jake, agreeing to be the dd since last night was a bit much for her. She wasn't paying any attention when a pretty woman, appearing to be in her forties, came over and touched Kaley's shoulder. Bella jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to scare you. I just want to see our little Kaley bug."

"Here, you can take her if you'd like..."

"That's alright. I need to go see Emmett before he gets pouty," the woman said with a laugh and a flick of her wrist. "You must be Isabella."

Bella immediately sat up straighter, wondering how this woman knew her name. "Um..."

"I'm Edward's mother, Esme Cullen, this little one doesn't shut up about you..."

"Mom! Hey," Edward approached quickly, and obviously nervous, "why don't you go say hello to everyone? I was just going to take Kaley in for a diaper change..."

"Alright, honey. Yell if you need anything. Oh, and your chocolate chip cookies are on the table by the grill...I'd get them before Emmett does."

The first person Esme went to was Rosalie and Bella tried to focus on Jake and Alice but it was hard with Edward there. Her thoughts were constantly on the fact that he was within reaching distance. "I know you want to be dd, especially after we ended up in bed together last night..."

Bella's eyes shot up to meet Jake's. That, she had definitely focused in on. Jasper had come over to talk to them and Bella immediately became embarrassed that people would judge her. "Jake, it wasn't like that..."

"Whatever," he shrugged, looking directly at Edward. _Jake's trying to make him jealous! _

"If you're going out again tonight, why don't we all go together?" Jasper was addressing everyone but Bella noticed he was looking only at Alice when he'd said it. Her best friend just gave him a huge grin back and immediately agreed. Edward picked Kaley up, looking a little disappointed. "We could all go to Chuggy's and..."

Bella realized why the new look of sadness was on his face. He wanted to go but he couldn't. She figured he'd had trouble finding a babysitter for the night before and now he knew it would be even harder. The idea of drinking more was a huge turn off for her and she really just wanted him to get to go out and have some fun—it had to be hard to get out with people his own age while raising a child.

"What do you think, Edward? Chuggy's at eight thirty?"

"Jazz..." Edward said quietly, his eyes directing Jasper to Kaley.

"Oh. Do you think that..."

"I could watch her. I mean, if she'd stay with me..." Bella offered, really not minding the staying home part.

"Bells..." Jake began but Edward cut him off.

"I can't ask you to do this on a night that your friends are in town."

"You didn't ask me," turning to Jake she said firmly, "Jake, I didn't want to go out anyway. You're right, last night was a night of a lot of almost stupid mistakes. I want to just stay in, anyway. You and Ally can go have fun."

"See, Edward?" Emmett asked, taking Kaley from him and bouncing her around. "Come out and have some fun!"

"I'd rather just stay..."

"Nope, we're not taking no for an answer. When's the next time you're going to get two nights in a row off?"

"Off? Em, this isn't a job! I'm a parent."

"Yes, a single parent who no longer has a social life."

"Edward, really, I'd be happy to stay back with her," Bella supplied.

Bella felt that he didn't want to go for a reason other than his daughter but knew if she asked why, he wouldn't admit it. A part of her wanted it to be that he was disappointed for the same reason Jake was. She looked over at her childhood best friend and saw him brooding at the end of the picnic table. With everyone's, except Bella's, eyes on Edward, she heard him sigh. "Fine but not shots," he relented, before looking at Bella, "Are you sure you want to stay home? Really, it's not a problem for me..."

"I'm positive," Bella said, also slightly disappointed that he'd be going without her, "now take your daughter and make her smell a little nicer. I think the diaper needs changed...ASAP."

Later that evening after a small argument with Jake, Bella arrived at Edward's and knocked on the door. He opened it and she found it hard to breathe. He wore dark jeans with a black button up top. The first two buttons were undone and his hair was messy—as always. It took her a minute to realize that Edward was staring at her as well.

"You okay?" she asked, trying to regain her own composure.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm being rude, please, come in."

She stepped through the doorway and was immediately impressed. For a man living by himself with a three year old, he was very tidy. While the house didn't look large on the outside, it was definitely bigger than she had expected. It was designed in a way that Bella had never really seen before. When she walked into the house, it was a tiled entryway. From there, you could go up the stairs that led to a room where she could see couches—obviously a living room or you could go downstairs where there were there was a kitchen play set visible. There was another door and she wasn't sure what that led to but followed him up to the living room.

The carpet was light beige and the furniture was slightly darker. To the left of the living room was a beautiful kitchen with dark cabinets and light hardwood floors. The counter tops were a pretty brown with flecks of green and overhead were studio-looking lighting.

"Rose took Kaley with her but they're picking me up so she's going to drop her off then. Before she gets here, I'll give you the rundown. It'll be about her bedtime but she's going to be excited you're here. Just give her some warm milk in her sippy cup when nine thirty comes and take her into her room to read her stories. She'll ask for you to keep reading but only allow her three and tuck her in. The humidifier is already set, just hit the power button. The nightlight is beside her changing table."

"Um, come on, I'll just show you," he said and Bella could tell he felt awkward. The room he led her into was beautiful. There was a small canopy bed along the wall closest to the door and a tan glider a few steps away from it. Shelves of books and stuffed animals lined the wall behind it. The other two walls housed a window overlooking the yard and a changing table and dresser. There was even a tiny vanity that was just the size for a two year old.

"Here are diapers, baby powder, everything you'll need for that fun. She's usually good about getting changed and I already set clothes out for her on top of the dresser."

He showed her the bathroom next, which was just as put together as the rest of the house. It was done in frogs, including a frog toothbrush holder, shower curtain, and trash can. The towels were all green with pink polka-dots and she smiled, thinking of him using the girly towels. "Here is the potty chair. She doesn't really use it but believe me, I'm trying. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to teach her. It's not like I have the right...equipment... but she's starting to get it…I think…"

"It's hard for every kid. Just be patient with her, don't stress her about it."

He looked so unsure of his potty training abilities that her heart broke. He was truly worried that his daughter would be in diapers for the rest of her life. After a brief moment of silence, he led her to the kitchen and showed her where the sippy cups were and the ice cream—which he promised would be something Kaley would want before bed. He told her to water down her juice and if she wanted chocolate milk, how to dilute it with white—that she drank Vitamin D.

Bella was so taken aback by how he treated his daughter and his role as his daughter's only parent that she wanted to hug him. Some of her students went home to two parent households that were more detrimental than this single parent home. He was really nervous—even more nervous than he usually seemed and Bella wanted to reassure him. "Hey, she's going to be fine. Edward, this is a wonderful home and you are an amazing father. I promise you that I will keep her safe and happy until you get home. Trust me."

He sighed, "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I? I'm sorry…I've never left her with anyone other than my parents, Rose, Emmett, or at the daycare. It's…hard for me. I know you're capable, I just worry."

"If you'd like, I could go grab my background clearances…" she said jokingly but he cut her off.

"No. Really, I'm just being…I didn't mean anything…"

"I was joking," Bella said, walking closer to him and putting her hand on his forearm. Wanting to change the subject, she asked, "Did you do all of this yourself? This house is amazing."

"No. The living room was done…before….then mom, my Aunt Liz, and Rose helped decorate when Kaley arrived. They helped me with the bathroom and her bedroom and Em and Jazz helped with the furniture. It was kind of a group effort. I couldn't do this on my own."

She was just about to suck it up and ask about Kaley's mom when the sound of a door opening brought a smile to his face. Kaley came sprinting up the stairs, followed by Rosalie who was dressed to kill—and made Bella feel self-conscious in her sweat pant capris and tank top. Edward picked up the giggling girl and kissed her cheek. "Hey, little bug . Look who's here to play with you for a little while."

"Is'bella!" she cheered, reaching for her. Edward frowned slightly, obviously feeling shafted, but handed her over to Bella.

"You ready? Em's waiting in the car. Jasper was picking up Alice and that guy…"

"Jake." Bella supplied and hugged Kaley to her.

"Yeah, Jake. Anyway, Em's waiting, we should go."

"Alright, Bella, all of the numbers are on the fridge. Mine, my mom's, and just about everyone we're going to be out with tonight. Don't hesitate to call me."

"Go have fun. We'll be here when you get back."

**Eh...not my favorite chapter but it gave you a taste of Edward's house. I know this is early but you all were amazing with the reviews and I won't be able to update until tomorrow night. So, until then, this will hopefully hold you over. I promise the next chapter is better...at least I think so! Show me some love! LP xoxoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 5**

_We'll be here when you get back. _Those words were enough to make his heart stop beating as he had reluctantly walked away from them to go out for a night he was unsure of. While the idea of going out with Bella had been appealing, the idea of leaving her with his daughter while he went out and had fun was not. He wanted time with her, knowing that their time together was limited. He was just happy that Jake would be away from her. He couldn't believe he felt as protective of her as he did. He tried reminding himself that she was just a neighbor—and now his babysitter.

When they arrived at a different local bar from the night before, he was hugged unexpectedly by the tiny girl who was friends with Bella. Jake regarded him coolly, which was fine with him. At the bar, people were crowded around and he tried to remember the last time he'd been out on a Saturday. He ordered a captain and coke, figuring he could sip a couple over the next couple hours and still be fine to handle any emergencies should they come up. An hour later, he was grateful he had fought off Emmett's attempts to buy him a few shots. The ghost of his past, the one person he had been avoiding for two years, was standing at the front door.

Tanya Denali wasn't from Forks, he'd met her in college when he was interning at a small firm about forty-five minutes from his hometown. She was beautiful—she still was—and after a summer of good-intentioned flirting, and catching each other checking the other out, he asked her to the movies. Things moved fast then, the movie had been forgotten as soon as they were in their seats. Two hours later, and suffering from swollen lips, they'd made their way to a coffee shop. Tyler had been fairly good friends with him but his best friend had always been Rosalie Hale.

That was the only hiccup in him and Tanya's relationship—or so he'd thought. Rosalie had been away at college down south and he had introduced them over Thanksgiving break when Tanya had come to Forks to meet his family. He could understand that Tanya was jealous of the friendship he had with Rose but that's where things began to get tricky. She started to get extremely jealous of him going out with friends—even when Rose wasn't there.

It wasn't a huge red flag, it was just one of her hang ups but he did love her. So, against his mother's wishes, they were married before he finished his doctorate. They'd moved into the house he was living in now, an investment they'd made after Tanya's father had passed away. He could honestly say they were happy. She was already working for the District Attorney's office about thirty minutes from their new home and he was working part-time and attending UFW, working towards his Masters. They were living comfortably and he was happy.

Things began to fall apart around their first anniversary. Rosalie had approached him one night, explaining that she'd seen Tanya the weekend before with a friend of her then boyfriend, Emmett McCarty. According to Rose, Tanya had been dancing ridiculously close to the guy and she had watched them leave together. A sick feeling had formed in his stomach—Tanya had told him that she was attending a late night meeting that night.

When she came home from work that evening—having told him she was attending another meeting, he was waiting up for her, fully ready to confront her. Instead, she walked in and had the nerve to call him a bastard, telling him she knew that Rosalie had been there that night. He told her what Rose had said and she denied it, telling him Rosalie was jealous, that she wanted to break them up—that was the first night he had slept on the couch.

He tried to brush things off, Tanya was a year older than him and about to turn twenty five. He had always wanted kids and started talking to her about it. Things were fine then, they were back to sleeping together and she'd even stopped the late nights. He told himself that he could look past whatever had happened, that she was his wife, and he had vowed for better or for worse. Tanya agreed to try after awhile and it wasn't until about three months later that they were out together and a man approached him.

"_Watch out for that one," the man laughed, pointing to Edward's wife._

_The way the man was eyeing her up, like she was an old conquest of his, made him want to punch the man in the face. Swallowing his anger, he played along. Suddenly, wondering if things really had gotten better. "How do you mean? She seems like a sweet girl…"_

"_That woman is a heart breaker. My buddy said he took her home one night and she left before he could even get her name—but not before he could…well, you know."_

"_Really? So, I shouldn't try for her?"_

"_If you want an easy lay, go for it. Just don't get attached. She's in here at happy hour just about every afternoon. I gotta say, though. She's a hot piece…"_

"_Well, could you do me a favor, man?" Edward asked, unable to listen to the man talk about her._

"_Keep spreading the word that she's not a good one to go after. I happen to _know_ that she's married."_

"_Man, I think you might have the wrong girl. I've never seen a ring on her finger." Edward clenched his teeth, trying to stay calm and wondering where she used to hide the twelve hundred dollar ring he had cashed in his grandfather's watch to buy. Did she slip it into her pocket? Put it in the cup holder of her car? The man must have taken his silence as him believing him because he shrugged and said, "If she_ is_ married, I'd like to meet her poor husband."_

_Unable to contain himself, Edward gave a lethal grin and held his hand out to the man. "Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you."_

The man's expression had been priceless when he realized what had happened but Edward knew his was probably just as priceless right now. Rosalie and Alice had gone off to dance and he stood there with Emmett and Jasper flanking him. "Oh, shit," he heard Emmett mutter.

"Haven't seen her in a long time…" Jasper commented, sipping his beer.

Tanya had only come around twice since giving birth to their daughter. Once was to beg him to take her back, which had ended with his mom threatening to call the police and a second time when she showed up, slightly more civil, to talk to him about trying again. He had calmly told her to sign the divorce papers and then he'd consider being just friends with her again—though he knew it was an empty promise. The bridge had already burnt and the foundation was way too shaky to rebuild it.

Tonight, as she approached him, he had to push down all the anger he felt towards her and try to be civil. He wouldn't stoop to her lows. "Hey, Edward," she said, calmly and for a brief moment, he recognized her as the woman he fell in love with.

With a nod to Emmett, he walked towards her and led her to an open table. "Tanya." he said by way of greeting.

"I was wondering if...I messed up, Edward."

"Is that what you're wondering?" he asked, already annoyed with the conversation.

"No. I'm admitting to it, full fledged. I fucked up and I'm just now realizing...what I could have had..."

"And what you'll never have again. Tanya, we've been through this. I don't want you back. I forgave you once and you were still seeing other people. I gave you what you wanted. You wanted other men, go have them. If there's nothing else you want to discuss than feel free to..."

"I want to see Kaley."

The words stopped his heart completely, stealing his breath, and making him see red. "Fuck you."

"Edward, please. She's my daughter..."

"She's _my_ daughter. You lost your rights to her a long time ago."

"I called the house and your babysitter told me you were out. I've been driving around looking for you ever since—Forks is small—it wasn't that hard. Just hear me out."

"We are not getting back together. You are not seeing Kaley. If you have something else to say, then try me."

"I was stupid. You are still the sweetest and most handsome of any man I have ever met. I miss you. I really fucked up with you but even more so with that little girl. I didn't realize how much it would hurt to not be around her, to miss her growing up..."

"_That little girl _just turned two. That means she's been around for two years now, Tanya. You haven't seen her or even tried since she was born. You came to me, begging me to take you back—rather pathetically I might add, but not once have you ever mentioned _my_ daughter. If you'd ask me two years ago, I would have considered working something out with you so you could visit her. It's way too fucking little and it's way too late. You are not to see her and if you try I swear to God, I will take you to court to push this divorce through while I file for a restraining order."

"So that's it? I'm never going to even get to meet her?"

"You did meet her. You gave her away," Edward said, standing up and walking away before the anger took over again. Turning back to her, he said, "I get that I wasn't good enough for you. I get that. What I don't get is how a mother, who is completely capable of raising a child, could just give that child away without a second thought."

Bella was rubbing the little girl's back in attempt to soothe her. After ice cream, pajamas, and a diaper change, she had tucked the little girl into bed. Everything had been fine until she went to pick out a book to read and Kaley broke down into tears. Bella had never seen the girl even frown and immediately started to blame herself. "Kaley, baby, what's wrong?" Bella asked, sitting beside the little girl's bed and wiping her tears.

"Daddy. Daddy read!"

"Daddy will be home later, sweetheart. I'd like to read you a story, though. Would that be okay?"

Sniffling, the little girl laid down on her bed and dug her face into the pillow. Bella sighed and went to her bookshelf, browsing through the impressive collection of books. She found a book with Disney fairy tales and couldn't resist. The Beauty and the Beast had always been her favorite. Charlie, her father, had read it to her so many times that her mother eventually hid it so she didn't have to listen to it anymore.

"Hey, Kayl's, how about this book. It was always my favorite when I was little."

The little girl peered up at her, pushing up from her pillow and standing on her bed. "It's the Beauty and the Beast. Do you know who this is," she asked, pointing to the picture of Belle.

"Belle!" Kaley cried, obviously excited with Bella's selection. They had gone over her name all evening and only a little bit ago did she get Kaley to quit calling her by Isabella and start calling her by the nickname she preferred. "You Belle!"

Bella laughed and shook her head, "No, I'm Bell-a."

"Bella Bella Bella..." Kaley started rambling, as Bella had tucked her back into bed and rubbed her back. She held onto the book with her other hand and began to read. While she read, she wasn't really paying attention to the words, she was looking at Kaley. It was easy to fall in love with the little blonde but Bella tried to stop the feelings. What she felt for Kaley's father were just as strong, though, and it killed her. Before she even finished the story, Kaley had fallen asleep and Bella set the book aside before gently closing the bedroom door and heading into the living room.

It was only half past nine and she hadn't gotten much time with Kaley before it was her bedtime. She went into the kitchen and poured herself some juice before heading into the living room and grabbing the remote. It had been a pretty uneventful evening and Bella decided to go back in the kitchen and find a note pad. A woman named Tanya had called earlier and she didn't want to forget to tell Edward. Investigating the living room, she couldn't find one picture of a woman—other than his mom and Rosalie—that would indicate he was seeing anyone. She found it interesting that there were no pictures of his wife, either.

Back in the living room, she figured she had a long night of waiting up to do, so she grabbed her ebook reader and curled up on the big couch. Her mind kept drifting to a little fantasy that kept playing in her head, over and over again. The one where Edward would come home from a long day at the office and relieve her of her babysitting duties. Kaley was always taking a nap and they would talk awkwardly about how the day went before he'd kiss her. They'd keep it secret, not telling anyone for fear that it was too taboo—having sex with the babysitter...

She was just imagining that kind of sex when she heard voices outside. It was muffled but she jumped up, suddenly scared that an intruder was out there. Grabbing her cell phone, she darted towards the kitchen, grabbing the phone number list from the refrigerator. "Edward, wait..." Bella heard Emmett say and she let out a breathe she didn't realize she was holding in.

"Em, I seriously don't want to talk about it. Thanks for the ride home. I'll give you a call tomorrow..."

The guys were both standing at the front door with it open now and Bella went down to see what was going on. Neither one looked drunk, which was a good sign, but Edward looked more disheveled than normal. Emmett looked at her with a sympathetic smile before walking back out. Edward shut the door behind him and looked at her, as if noticing for the first time that she was there.

"Hey, how was Kaley?"

"Good, she's asleep," Bella had wanted to bore him with all of the details but she could tell he wasn't up for small talk.

"Good. I need to get some water and the monitor and I'll walk you home."

"That's not necessary..."

"You don't need to walk back by yourself in the dark. Come on, would you like something to drink?"

"I just had some juice but I need to grab my book," she said following him back upstairs. She watched as he poured himself a glass of water and pulled out his wallet.

"Is thirty okay?"

"No. It's too much..."

"Bella, it's a Saturday night and I went out with your friends. Thirty is less than you deserve."

"You cut grass for me," she said as a reminder, "so now we're even. Besides, I love spending time with her, you don't really have to pay me to do it. Keep your money."

"Fine but now I'm coming over every week and cutting your whole yard and I don't want to hear any complaining," he said with a smirk.

She opened her mouth to protest but instead said, "Fine. Just remember that if you ever need a sitter, I'm right next door."

"I don't usually go out. The only way your offer could help me is if it were during work. I will let you know, though."

"Well, when during work? I'm a couple classes ahead and..."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Right now, I only have two morning classes from eight to nine in the morning every Monday and Tuesday and a night class on Wednesday. Of course, I have FP—which is like pre-student teaching- at the elementary school all day Thursday but I'm free any other time."

"Well, I really could use the help. I'll pay you..."

"We'll work that out later."

"Are you really sure about this? I'll move Friday's daycare day to Wednesday and then I'll only need you Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. I hate to say it but it would help immensely. My mom wants to go back to work and I was kind of freaking out about what to do. Daycare is expensive."

"It's no problem. I can come by Monday, a little after nine. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, Rose works from ten to six, I can ask her to keep Kaley until you...What's this?" he asked, holding up the paper with the note. It was clear that his focus had shifted from her being a regular babysitter to the woman who had called.

"Oh, she called a few minutes after you left...are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Come on, I'll walk you home."

Bella knew that he wasn't okay but there was really nothing she could do about it. She grabbed her book as he grabbed the baby monitor. When they were standing in front of her door, he awkwardly told her that he'd see her Monday. Agreeing, Bella went in and shut the door, before heading up to take a bath—and think about the rest of the fantasy she had begun earlier.

Edward sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. After he'd walked away from Tanya, he asked Emmett to take him home. All he wanted was to check on Kaley and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to seeing Bella. His mind shifted to the day he'd brought his daughter home, he'd never been more terrified of anything in his entire life. His mom had stayed and shown him how to feed her, burp her, change her, bath her, and even dress her.

He couldn't remember ever even holding a baby before they handed his daughter to him. The nurses had been kind but he got a lot of he-has-no-idea-what-he's-asking-for looks. It didn't matter though. She was his and his heart new he would always be hers. It was only by divine intervention that he hadn't been fired from his job being that he was late every morning for the first six months of Kaley's life. He struggled through colic, gas, teething, and everything in between. In the back of his mind he knew that he had to get an attorney and figure out how to push the divorce through without her signature. There just always seemed to be too much to deal with and it wasn't like he was seeing anyone else exclusively—or anywhere near exclusively.

He smiled, remembering the days when she was little. Rosalie had a picture of the two of them that she had framed to hang in his room. Kaley was about four months old and curled up on his chest, both of them on his parent's couch for some get together sleeping off a night of colic. Rose had just gotten to his parent's and saw them, snapping a picture. She had a photographer friend who fixed the photo so the only color in it was Kaley's pink blanket that was over his shoulder, the pink pacifier he had hooked on his finger, and the pink booties she was wearing. It had taken the place of he and Tanya's wedding photo. Emmett and Jasper teased him about the world of pink his life had become but he knew it was all in good fun. They loved that little girl just as much as he did.

For the first time in years, Edward started to wonder how soon he could push this divorce and end his pathetic excuse of a marriage once and for all. Also for the first time, he realized that he and Kaley both wanted more. _Who the hell am I kidding? We both want the babysitter..._

**I hope you liked it. I figured we needed a look into the marriage of Edward and Tanya and then some daddyward to get the thought out of our heads :) Let me know what you think and thank you for the reviews! I'm loving the responses! Keep them up and I'll update soon! LP xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 6**

Sunday was used for what it was intended to be—a day of rest. Bella spent the day scrap-booking with Alice and watching Jake's over reaction to some pre-season football game. "I really like him. I think I'm falling for him...and I don't want to stop..."

Bella listened as her best friend gushed about Jasper Whitlock. It was obvious that Jasper liked Alice as well and she really saw no reason why Alice shouldn't go for it. He seemed nice and according to Alice he was single. Their age difference wasn't that bad either. While Alice was twenty two, Jasper was twenty five. "Would you two please, please, please stop talking? Let's go out for lunch. We have to be on the road in a couple hours and I'm starving."

The girls rolled their eyes at Jake but agreed. After packing away the mess they had created all over the small kitchen table, they climbed into Jake's car and headed to a local pizza shop. "So, what are you going to do about Edward?" Alice asked when Jake went to use the bathroom.

"I don't know. He's obviously so, so hot...and I can't help but fall in love with Kaley but I just can't stop wondering about what happened with his ex-wife."

"Jasper mentioned that they weren't totally divorced yet but that Edward wanted it. I guess she's a real bitch but I don't know much more than that. We weren't exactly spending the evening talking..." her voice trailed off and Bella shook her head.

"Well, do you know why Edward came back super early last night? Was he really worried that I couldn't handle Kaley?"

"No. He was talking to some girl and the next thing I know, Emmett's pulling him out the door."

The next morning, Bella woke up to an empty house and trudged into the bathroom. It was seven am and she had an hour until she was to be sitting in her first class at UFW. She prayed that things would go well, worried that it would be awkward coming to a smaller school during her senior year. Once she was in her car and headed towards the small campus, she recognized Edward's car in front of her and her heart sped up.

She wondered what mornings were like for him, if Kaley was an early bird or if he had to fight to wake her up. She wondered if he played with his daughter before leaving. She wondered if he packed himself a lunch...and Kaley on daycare days. There was so much about them that she didn't know, that she shouldn't know because she was just a neighbor.

Class dragged and when the hour was up, Bella raced to her car, not being able to wait to see Kaley again. Pulling in, she remembered Rosalie would be there and began to worry. The blonde bombshell opened the door as she approached. Kaley went running to Bella and she picked her up before kissing her on the cheek.

Rosalie left the door open for her and went inside, picking her purse up from a small table in the entryway. "She already had breakfast. Have fun," she said coldly before kissing Kaley on the head and heading back towards the door.

"Rosalie, wait. I was wondering...I don't know what I did...I just think that maybe you got the wrong impression of me..."

"You have no idea what Edward's been through, Isabella. I know you are young and naïve and think that playing house with them is a fun way to spend your semester. It's not. It's not fun to sit here and watch your childhood best friend struggle through being a single parent because his b-i-t-c-h of a wife couldn't handle it. You're just another woman who they're both going to get attached to and then take off. Neither of them need that and I'm not sure which one will be more hurt by it. It's nice that you want to help him. It's great that he has a regular sitter who isn't his mom but he cares about you. Don't start something with him unless you plan to _never_ finish it."

"I never meant to..."

"Look, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just looking out for them. My number's on the fridge. Don't hesitate to call me if something happens with Kaley. I'll see you around."

Before Bella could even defend herself, the blonde was gone and Kaley looked up at her, obviously confused about the exchange. "Come on, little bug, let's go watch a movie."

Around two o'clock, Bella put her down for a nap and found herself exploring the house a little more. The downstairs where they had played for a couple hours, was a playroom/laundry room. There were clothes piled up—clean clothes—that needed folded. Figuring she had at least an hour before he'd be home, she started sorting them until she came to the whites. It was obvious that Edward was a boxer briefs man and she felt that familiar tingle in her stomach when she imagined what he must look like in them. Deciding that taking care of his laundry was way to personal, she messed the piles back up to their beginning messiness and headed back upstairs.

Edward came in at three forty-five on the dot, looking just a disheveled as usual. When he came up the stairs to greet her, she couldn't help but check him out. Today, he wore a deep blue polo shirt with khaki pants and loafers. She thought about what he must look like underneath but made herself stop. "How were things today? Did I give you sufficient directions last night on the phone?"

"Everything was great" _apart from Rosalie _"she's still napping."

"Good, she hardly slept last night. I don't know what had gotten into her. Usually, I have no problem getting her to bed. She wasn't too cranky?"

"No. Not at all."

"Alright..." Now that the subject of his daughter was done, things became awkward again and a long stretch of silence seemed to stretch to all four corners of the room. Finally, Edward ran his hands through his hair and said, "I'm making spaghetti tonight, you're welcome to stay for dinner..."

Bella thought about what Rosalie had said to her about playing house and wondered if she was right. She couldn't just pretend to be a part of their family. "Actually, I have left overs from yesterday to finish off...I should be going...I have homework."

"I'm such an idiot! How did your first class go? I should have asked you—I guess I was just a little distracted..."

"It went fine. First days are always just introductions."

"I remember my first day of UFW, I sat in Dr. McKinney's class for the whole hour—he was a technical engineering instructor—I was pre-law. So, I sat there, after realizing I was in the wrong classroom. I missed my first official college class."

"Law degrees aren't easy to get. I bet it was rough."

"I loved school. If it wasn't for me having to eventually get a real job, I would have wanted to go back. Tanya said I would have stayed in school for the rest of my life," he said, becoming quiet.

Bella had heard that name before, Tanya was the one who'd called on Saturday night. "Tanya?"

"Um, yeah. Do you want me to walk you next door?"

Obviously he was trying to change the subject and she shook her head, "It's broad daylight. I think I'll be safe. Oh, and Edward, maybe you could try to go back when Kaley's a little older. You shouldn't give up on something like that, not if you love it."

Tuesday was pretty much the same but not seeing Kaley on Wednesday made her a little sad. She filled most of the day at her house, making sure everything was unpacked, and did some grocery shopping. Alice called her around one o'clock. "Bella! Jasper just called me! He called!"

"Okay. Did he say anything?" Bella asked when that was all the information Alice was giving her.

"He said he just wanted to see how I was and to find out when I was going to come visit again. I told him about moving out there next weekend and he sounded genuinely excited!"

"Al, that's great."

"Oh, and you should really call your mom. I ran into her at the store and she was asking about you. Have you really not called since you left last week?"

"No. I haven't. I'll call her now. Are you coming out here this weekend to visit?"

"I can't. I really, really want to though."

"I think that has more to do with your boyfriend than me."

"He's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend...a really cute, smart, attractive...okay, you win. I do love ya though."

"I know. I love you, too. See you in a couple weeks."

Hanging up but not putting the phone down, she called her mom. "Well, well, well, it's my long lost daughter. Why haven't you called?"

"You know, the phone works both ways, you can receive _and_ send calls."

"You're hilarious. Anyway, how are things? How are classes?"

"Good...boring...I'm just ready to be in the classroom."

"When does pre-student teaching start?"

"Tomorrow at seven thirty," Bella said, trying to sound upbeat and as excited as she should be. Really, she couldn't wait for Friday.

"Did you talk to the library like you had planned? Do they need the help?"

"No but I actually got a job babysitting three days a week."

"How much are you getting paid? Is it some rich family? Those ones are always the best. Nice houses, nice cars, nice pay...and they usually have swimming pools..."

"Um...actually, we haven't really worked out the pay thing yet. I guess we'll talk about it at the end of the week. He's been helping me like cut grass and stuff and I don't pay him..."

"He?"

"Yeah, the little girl's dad. He's been great helping me out and his daughter is the sweetest little thing," Bella stopped herself before she added how sweet _he_ really was.

"What's her mom like?"

"She's...um...they're going through a divorce."

"Oh. That's sad. That must be hard on their daughter," the way her mom said it worried Bella—like there was something more to that statement.

"She never met her. Tanya signed her rights away to Edward when Kaley was born. He's been raising her by himself ever since."

"Edward?" her mom asked suspiciously.

"What do you want me to call him Mr. Cullen?" Bella asked carefully, knowing there was a lecture coming—the same one that had been playing over and over in her own head for days.

"Don't get too attached, Bella. I mean how old is this man? It's not like you are close in age..."

"Mom, he's..." Bella stopped, realizing she didn't know how old he actually was. He couldn't be that old. "Um...he's like twenty five."

"Oh. He's young. How old is the girl?"

"Two."

"Bella, I'm not trying to be judgmental but this man is young and going through a divorce. Being a single parent is hard, don't let him think that he can pin you down..."

"Mom, stop. There's nothing going on between the two of us."

While Wednesday's night class dragged, Thursday surprisingly flew. Her first graders were great and the teacher seemed really knowledgeable and caring. They read a few stories that Bella wrote down to pick up at the library for Kaley and made a really cute butterfly project that she wrote down the materials for. There was no class tomorrow and she would have the little girl all day. After leaving the elementary school, she headed for the library and saw that it was across the street from the Forks fire station, and Edward's car was right out front.

Forcing herself into the library—and away from the station's garage—she picked up the books she wanted and read a flyer about a children's program they did every Friday for toddlers. She took one and grabbed her books. Just about to head towards the convenience store two doors down, she saw Edward standing with the guys beside one of the large engines. She tried to not let them see her when she heard Emmett yell, "Hey!"

Knowing she'd been caught, she turned towards them and smiled, giving a small wave. Edward wore his work clothes and Bella couldn't help but want to unbutton the green shirt he was wearing. Even across the street his looks brought out the vixen in her. "Come on over, Bella!" Emmett called waving to her.

She sighed and gave in, figuring she's ask Edward about taking Kaley to the library the next day. She headed towards them with a smile and when she reached the large garage, Edward stepped towards her. "Hey, how was your first day with the kids?"

He always managed to remember what her day was supposed to entail and she loved it. There was something about how much he always seemed to care that made her heart skip a beat. "It was great, the kids are awesome and the school is so cute."

"Did you get books for them?"

"No, actually they're for Kaley. We read them to the kids today and I thought she'd like them. I was just over at the library."

"You don't have to do all of this extra stuff...she's happy just having you there," Edward said with a look of guilt on his face.

"I wanted to. I actually wanted to ask you about tomorrow. Would you trust me enough to take her to the library? They're having something for toddlers and I think she'd really like it."

"Um, I..." Bella realized he wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea and was thankful that the guys had walked away, now deep in a conversation of their own.

"Forget it. It's not a big deal. I understand."

"It's not that. I just have to try to get a hold of my mom. I make sure to always have a carseat for her with me and you'll need one. My mom isn't going to need hers as much as she used to so we can get it to keep for when you or someone else wants to take her."

"You don't mind? I don't mean to be a burden..."

"You're fine. I'll call her tonight. I think Kaley would really enjoy going."

She was just about to tell him that she'd see him in the morning when his phone went off and he pulled it out to look at. "If it's Rose, tell her I'll be home soon!" Emmett called over.

"It's not," was all Edward said after rolling his eyes but before putting it back in his pocket, not even waiting to see if there would be a message.

"You can answer it. I have to get going. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he said, obviously distracted and lost in thought.

She walked away, feeling slightly awkward and even more curious, wondering who had just called him. Something was definitely bothering him but she tried to remind herself to stay out of it. Her mother's voice rang in her head _don't get attached_. She knew it was going to be difficult but her mom was definitely right.

She decided to sit out on her porch and read from her Professional Development book that evening with Peanut perched on the arm of her chair. Just about done with the first chapter, she saw a black car pull into Edward's which she recognized as his mother's. She watched as they loaded Kaley into the back and his mom pulled him to the side—presumably out of ear shot of the little girl. She couldn't hear what was being said but knew his mom wasn't happy. After a minute went by, his mom reached out and hugged him before shaking her head and getting into the car.

Bella shook her head, telling herself it was none of her business and went back to her textbook. Peanut began to whine as yet another car pulled in. This one was red and looked expensive. A tall, blonde woman in a small tank top and cut off shorts stepped out of the car. She knocked a few times before Bella saw Edward step out and half push, half guide the girl to the picnic table outside. Bella tried not to watch, she tried to give them their privacy, but couldn't help it. Jealously boiled in her veins. She wondered if this was Tanya, the woman who'd called for him. The sound of her ringing phone pulled her into the house and when she grabbed for it saw that it was Alice. They said their hellos but Alice cut her off before she could say anything else. "Jasper called again! We need to get dresses! Oh, I'm so excited!"

"Al, did I miss something? Why do we need dresses?" Bella asked, immediately concerned. With Alice it wouldn't surprise her if she and Jasper were tying the knot the very next day.

"He just called and asked me to come to the fireman's gala the guys are planning. It's in two weekends from now—the weekend after I move in!"

"I wasn't really invited, Al."

"Oh. I just thought that maybe Edward might want..."

"He'll want a babysitter, Alice, not a date. Besides, there's some girl at his house now. She could be his girlfriend for all I know. He'll probably take her," Bella knew she was pouting but couldn't help it. She was definitely feeling hurt by the fact that he wouldn't even mention it to her.

**Holy reviews! I'm so excited! I didn't get to respond back but promise I will for all reviews from chapter 5...as soon as I get this uploaded...in like five minutes. Thank you so, so, much! So, do you think he'll ask her to the gala...or the strange mystery woman whose next door with him? Let me know what you think ;) LP xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 7**

"She's not here. You can stop moping about not going inside to see her," Edward said, pulling at his hair.

"You're going to go bald if you don't stop that," Tanya said, reaching for his arm as she sat across from him.

He pulled away from her. "Look, I just want to be left alone. You cheated on me...a lot. Why can't you just give me peace?"

"I know I screwed up...a lot...now that I've grown up a little bit I see what I left behind. Edward, you never deserved what I did to you. I loved you deeply then and I still do. I love you even more. I was young and stupid."

"Tanya, you were twenty-six years old! You weren't young. You were just stupid."

She cringed, "Alright, I deserved that. I'm more mature now. Everyone around me is starting to settle down...Carmen even has a little girl now. I just regret throwing away what I had with you..."

"So that's what this is about?" It all made sense to him again. "You want a kid of your own to show off. Tanya, she's not an accessory. She's a child!"

"Is it really that hard to believe that a mother would miss her daughter?"

"What do you want from me?" Edward snapped in frustration.

"I want you to give me another chance. Just one more. See for yourself that things are different and then maybe you can consider letting me see her. Please. Just a chance."

"Tanya...I'm not looking for a relationship right now..." Edward's thoughts drifted to Bella.

"Then will you consider just being friends again? Just close enough that you could let me see her?"

"I'll think about it. Now, please, quit calling my phone every ten minutes. I have a job and Kaley to take care of."

"Alright. I won't call as much. Let me know."

He stood up, finished with the conversation, and waited for her to follow suit. Before she walked away from him, she took a couple steps closer and said, "I really miss you. I'm sorry. For everything."

"I'll call you in a couple of days," was all he said back.

The sun was just going down when Bella watched Esme Cullen drop off her grand daughter. Edward came out of the house and scooped her up. Peanut was running through the yard and Bella laughed as he tried to carry a stick that was too big for him. She had just gone over to take the stick, worrying the little dog would impale himself, and noticed Edward coming towards her with a car seat. "Mind if I put this in now?"

"No, the car is unlocked," Bella said, as Kaley gained freedom and ran for her.

Kissing her on the cheek, Bella carried her to the front porch where Peanut was chasing a lady bug. Her father returned soon after and sat on the top step that led to her front door. He didn't say anything as he watched his daughter chase the small ball of fur. Her feelings hurt, Bella wanted to ask him about the gala but wasn't sure how. He could at least have the decency to give her a heads up that she'd need to be on duty that night—what if she made other plans. She knew she wouldn't though, it was a chance to spend time with Kaley.

"So, we're good for tomorrow?" she asked, tired of the silence.

"Yeah. It's ready to go."

Kaley had given up and was now crawling up onto the porch swing beside Bella. She helped her up and began rocking. "Do you want anything to drink? There's beer in the fridge. Jake left it. I'm more of a wine girl."

"Um...sure," he said, running his hands through his hair, but looking relieved.

She went to set Kaley down to go get it when she realized the little girl was falling asleep. "Do you know where the kitchen is? I don't want to wake Sleeping Beauty."

"Yeah. I'll be back."

Less than two minutes later he came back with a beer for himself as well as the bottle of wine Bella had open in the fridge and a wine glass. He poured her a glass and handed it to her, setting the bottle beside him before opening his beer. "I guess Alice and Jasper are getting along well," he said quietly.

"Yeah. She called me tonight. She's a smitten kitten."

"I'm glad he found someone. He's lonely."

Bella thought of the irony of what he'd said. If anyone was lonely, it was Edward. "I saw you had company tonight."

He didn't say anything, just took a long pull of his beer and looked at Kaley, who was curling her little fists in Bella's hair as she slept. "She likes your hair. I noticed her doing that at the cookout. You can stop her if she pulls to hard."

When it was clear he wasn't going to comment on the company, Bella decided to ask, "Where'd she get the blonde hair from? I noticed your dad is a blonde."

"It could be from him but it's the same color as her mother's." The way he said it sounded like he had trouble dealing with that fact. "Tell me about your parents."

Bella was surprised by where this conversation was heading. "Well, my dad is a police officer and my mom is a bank teller. They're great...just not so great with each other lately. I lost both of my grandfather's this summer and it really destroyed our family. They fight a lot. It's the reason I moved actually. Alice goes to art school out here and she'll be moving in with me next weekend."

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss. My parents get a lot well but dad's a workaholic. Mom met him when she was a nurse at the hospital he was working at—he's a pediatrics doctor."

"Ah, must be nice having a doctor in the family."

"I couldn't have raised her without their help. I think I called them every hour on the hour for the first month she was home with me. She couldn't even go to sleep without me thinking I did something wrong."

"Well, obviously you did a lot of things right."

He had moved so that he was sitting beside her and his hand reached out to rub his daughter's back. The little girl snuggled into Bella's chest and she watched as Edward smiled. The moment was one of the most intimate ones she'd ever been a part of...too intimate. Edward must have noticed it as well because he cleared his throat and said, "I should probably get her home. See you in the morning?"

"Yeah. Actually, do you mind if I carry her over. I don't want to wake her up."

"Sure. Come on."

Bella had no idea why she asked to go home with them but she was mentally kicking herself for it now. She had put Kaley into bed, helping Edward change and clothe her, before heading into his living room when she stupidly asked, "Before I go, I wanted to ask you...Alice mentioned the gala...I was just wondering what time you're going to need me that night..."

"Oh, um..." Edward looked concerned and she couldn't believe she brought it up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have presumed...your mom is probably going to watch her...it's fine."

"Bella, wait," Edward said, reaching for her hand as she turned to leave. "I...I do need a sitter...and...if you...I mean...I guess you should stay with her...instead..."

"Instead of what?" Bella asked, finding it hard to breathe as they stood really close together, their hands still linked.

"I thought...I thought maybe you'd like to go...with...me."

"Oh." Relief flooded through her the same time her mothers words of not getting attached did. She thought of the little girl sound asleep in her tiny bed and wondered what he would do with Kaley if they were both gone. "What about Kaley?"

"Well, I don't know yet...mom and dad are going to be there. I'll figure something out..."

"I'd like to...I'd love to go with you but I'll wait to make sure you have a sitter before I get my dress."

"Bells, don't worry. I have a couple people I can ask. Aunt Liz hasn't seen her in awhile...I can ask Emmett's mom if I have to."

"Alright. Hey, I can ask around my classes too. They're all El Ed majors. We make good babysitters," Bella said with a little laugh, realizing their hands weren't letting go.

"Alright, then. Two Saturday's from now, don't make any plans."

"'Kay. No plans..." she said, becoming breathless as he came closer to her. His face was inches from hers and right when she realized what was about to happen, the sound of a fire alarm went off. Both of them jumped and it took her a second more to realize what was now happening. This was his job. He had to go.

"Do you want me to stay with Kaley?"

"No. Rose will be over with Emmett. It keeps her mind off of us being away..." he was interrupted by Kaley's crying. It hadn't been her bedtime when she fell asleep and she suspected the little girl knew that. "Dammit. Can you get her? I need to get ready, Em will be here in a minute."

"Yeah. Go. I got it."

Ten minutes later, Bella and Rosalie sat awkwardly across from each other in the living room. Kaley had thrown a fit both times Bella had tried to leave—and it was not something that made Rosalie happy. "Do you want me to just go?" Bella finally asked.

"No. I don't want to be the reason she's upset. I just hope you know what you're doing"

"I have no idea what I'm doing. I just want to help them. Both of them." Bella said, tired and frustrated.

Rosalie didn't say anything, just rolled her eyes, "I'm going to get a drink. Want anything?"

"No." She sat back on the couch and held the little girl to her. Bella hadn't realized she'd drifted off to sleep until she heard the tv turn on, waking her up—and Kaley. It took her a minute to remember where she was and looked up to see Rosalie turning on the local news channel. It was the ten o'clock news and Bella shifted so she could see what was going on. The caption "Fire in Forks" came across the screen and Bella realized she was wide awake now.

An announcer stood talking into a microphone as a large house stood still burning behind her. "...a situation that went from bad to worse. Upon arrival of the Forks fire department—along with departments from surrounding counties, the men barely had time to get the hoses working before an explosion shook the tiny town. Three firefighters are now in critical condition while one has been confirmed dead. The brave men out here fighting this fire have no time to grieve, though, these fires are fierce. It's going to be a long night."

Bella found herself shaking and forced herself to look at Rosalie. Rosalie's face was ashen and there were tears in her eyes. She tried to stay calm, seeing how terrified the blonde looked. Kaley was falling back to sleep and Bella set her down gently. "Rose, look at me," she said going over to the terrified looking woman. "If it were Emmett...or one of the other guys...where would they take them? How could we find out?"

"Forks General. There's only one hospital here. That's where they'd take them."

"Alright," Bella said grabbing the house phone and a phone book. "I'm going to call them. We'll find out who it was."

When they wouldn't give Bella information because she wasn't an immediate relative, she put Rosalie on and encouraged her to stay calm long enough to ask. She heard Rose let out a sigh of relief before hanging up. "Thank you."

Bella was surprised by that—it was the first kind thing Rosalie had said to her. "You're welcome. They wouldn't tell you about Edward would they?"

"No. I have an idea though, we can call Carlisle, he works there."

Within five minutes, they were sitting back on the couch, waiting for anymore news, relieved that all the men mentioned were from different companies. Bella felt guilty for being thankful of that but couldn't help it. There was no sign of the ordeal being over anytime soon and Bella began to yawn. "Why don't you go lie down in his room? He won't care. I'll take the couch."

The idea of being in his bed gave her fluttery feelings in her stomach but she couldn't turn it down. She'd been up since five that morning and couldn't keep her eyes open. "You'll come get me if something happens?"

"Yeah. I promise."

Bella didn't want to leave Kaley so she picked the little girl up and made her down the hallway. She opened the only door that she had yet to go into and was surprised. It was clean, just like the rest of the house, and had a huge four poster bed along the farthest wall. She laid down and found herself facing a big bathroom, with what looked like a marble tub inside. The bed was comfy and as Kaley cuddled into her, she looked up and saw a large, framed picture.

It was of Edward, and undoubtedly an infant Kaley, who was sleeping on his chest. She looked like one of those babies you see photographed for calendars, curled up with her little fists gripping her daddy's shirt. He was absolutely the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. His beard was scruffy and he was sound asleep. She couldn't tell what color he was wearing but knew it was something dark. The only color in the whole picture was Kaley's booties, a blanket, and a pacifier. Trying to imagine what his life must have been like, raising his little daughter by himself, she drifted off to sleep.

Edward climbed into Emmett's truck with barely enough energy to sit up straight. It was four am and the fire had finally been put out. It was a bad night. The next county over had lost one of their men and by the time everything was finished, four more were injured and in the hospital. It had been years since they'd lost someone to a fire. The news stations hadn't been given the go ahead to say anything yet but the family that lived there had lost their son. Edward and a younger guy from another department had pulled his body from the room but they knew it was too late. The boy had died from smoke inhalation long before he was in danger of the flames.

Hurt and exhaustion overtook his whole body and Emmett even remained silent. All he wanted was to get home to Kaley. A more selfish part of himself silently prayed that Bella would still be there but at the same time hoped she was in her bed, sound asleep. When they finally pulled up to the house, Rosalie came running out and flung Emmett's door open. "Thank God! I was so scared...I called the hospital."

"Shhh, I'm right here. I'm okay."

Edward was climbing out, grabbing his helmet off the floor—which he'd forgotten to leave in the engine they'd taken. When he came around the truck to go inside, Rosalie pulled him towards her. "You two need to stop scaring the hell out me like this!"

Sleepily, he smirked and kissed her cheek. "I'm not up for a beer this morning. I'll call you guys later."

It was pointless to think they'd heard him. Rose was now making out with her husband and probably didn't even know he was still there. The first thing he did was chug down four glasses of water before pulling off his shirt—which had been burnt in some spots and was now covered in ash and sweat. Stumbling past Kaley's room, he opened up his bedroom door and his heart began to beat harder. Curled up on his bed were Bella and Kaley, both sound asleep. Wanting to shower but not wanting to wake them, Edward debated on what to do. He needed sleep. It wasn't a question.

Giving in, he laid down on the other side of Kaley. Edward had never, ever brought a girl home when Kaley was there. Bella was the first woman who had spent the night that his daughter would know about—even though it had nothing to do with sex—he was just too damn tired and didn't want to wake her up. He held his daughter's little hand as Bella hugged the girl's back to her chest.

At one point, he felt Kaley get up and pad out the door. On the rare occasions that he let her sleep in his bed, she usually did wake up on her own but left him to go back to her room. He wouldn't fool himself into thinking she was sleeping and knew that she would sit in her room and look through books or play her Leap Frog until he got up. He drifted back to sleep quickly.

Bella was having the best dream of her life. She was sleeping on a bed that felt like clouds, wrapped in a pair of strong arms. The man who was holding her had his hand resting above her left breast, right over her heart. She was sure she'd wake him with how loud it was beating. She wished this man could be her kind neighbor and just as she was about to pull away from the stranger, she realized she smelled smoke. Her eyes flew open and she went to sit up but found she was indeed still wrapped in two very muscular limbs. _Am I still dreaming?_

She went to push him away and felt the man pressing up against her back. He had groaned when she pushed away and he pulled her closer, this time mumbling something in his sleep. Even as a breathless whisper, she recognized his voice. Edward was home. He was alive and well. Tears unexpectedly began to fall and she wondered where Kaley was. Then, the weight of the situation hit her. She was under the covers with Edward Cullen. He was holding her and obviously wanting more from the hardness she felt on her lower back. She knew this could get really interesting, really fast but just couldn't bring herself to wake him. It felt so good to lie there with him.

She heard him whisper her name into her hair and made herself turn to face him. He was reluctant to let her pull away but his eyes didn't flutter open until she was looking at his face. It took a minute for him to register what was happening but when he did, his eyes flew open. "Oh, God. I'm sorry. I didn't mean...it was really late and I was tired. I never should have...oh, God. I'm a bastard."

"Edward, stop," Bella said quietly, sliding a little away from him—but not too far. "Kaley's in the next room, watch your language.

He sat up then and Bella saw that he was shirtless. Rubbing his face, he groaned, and Bella knew he was embarrassed more than anything. "I should go. I'm sorry," Bella said, wiping her cheeks to get rid of the tears she had forgotten were there.

"You're crying," Edward stated, "I didn't...did I do something? I really _was_ asleep..."

"You came back," she said, tears betraying her. "I was scared that you...that it was you that...Rose called your dad but..."

She was surprised when he pulled her to him and hugged her. She slid over and let herself get lost in him. After a little while, she pulled away with a sheepish smile, "I'm going to go check on Kaley. You look exhausted. Go back to sleep."

"Thank you."

"For what?" she asked standing up and heading towards the door.

"Everything."

Bella decided to head home and get cleaned up. Not wanting to leave Kaley by herself, and knowing she was probably hungry, she left a note on Edward's bedroom door that she took Kaley to her house. Before they made it to the door she got a sick feeling. Peanut ran off the porch to greet them and Bella knew Edward had put her back in the house before they had left the night before. If it wasn't for the fact that she had Kaley, she would have went inside but instead, she turned and began heading back to Edward's. He was standing in the kitchen when she ran in, Peanut on her heels. "Something's not right. I think someone's in my house."

**You guys are so awesome with all the reviews! Please keep giving me feedback...I love hearing from you! As always, a new chapter will be up soon. Lots of love, LP xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 8**

Bella stood at the corner of her yard, watching the still shirtless Edward heading towards her front door. She glanced around, noticing that there weren't any vehicles outside, except hers. Kaley was starting to squirm and Bella bounced her a little, trying to calm her down. He made it to the front door, baseball bat in hand, before stopping quickly. All the tension seemed to drain away and he turned towards Bella where he motioned her over, shaking his head. She approached quietly, holding Kaley close, still scared. When she got to the porch, Alice ran out and wrapped her and Kaley both in a hug. Looking up at Edward apologetically, she pulled away and headed into the house.

When she got there, she realized the surprise wasn't over. Her mom and dad stood in the living room looking very confused. Kaley dug her face into Bella's hair, trying to hide. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked before realizing Edward was still standing behind her shirtless.

"We wanted to surprise you! Surprise!" her mom said, while her dad had a what-the-hell-is-going-on look.

"I'm surprised," Bella responded, while telling Kaley it was okay.

"Hey, Edward, where's your shirt?" Alice asked with a smirk.

"Edward? He's cute, Bella!" she walked towards them, holding out a hand, "I'm Renee Swan. It's nice to meet you."

"Um...nice to meet you, too," Edward said weakly.

"Dad, this is Edward...my...friend," Bella said, wondering if friend was a bit of an understatement and deciding it was considering he was shirtless on her porch with a baseball bat. "Edward, this is my dad, Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you, sir."

Her father ignored Edward and turned back to her. "Where'd ya get a kid, Bells?"

"Oh, mom, dad, this is Kaley. Edward's daughter."

"Awesome," Charlie replied.

Things got awkward and she turned to Edward. "Go back to bed. Why were you even up? Oh, I guess work..."

"I called off. James, the chief, called right after you left. We're having a meeting and they need statements from me and some of the other guys."

"Chief? Are you a police officer?" Charlie asked, suddenly interested.

"James is the fire chief. I'm a fireman."

"That's brave work. Do you volunteer?"

"Yeah. Bells, I hate to do this but..."

"I've got her. You go to the meeting and then go back to bed. Call if you need anything."

"Will do. _You_ call _me_ if you need anything."

When he was gone, Bella hugged her mom again. "You guys scared me. I thought intruders were breaking in. I went over to get Edward out of bed!"

"Sorry, hon..."

"How did you guys even get here? Where's your car?"

"Jake brought us down. He left about ten minutes ago to get us some breakfast. Where were you? We've been here for an hour now."

Bella looked at the clock, relieved that it wasn't too early. "I was watching Kaley and was coming over here to change. It was...a really bad night last night."

"I know," Alice said quietly, "I called Jazz this morning and he told me what happened."

Just then, Jake came barreling through the door and scared Kaley. She gasped and clung to Bella again. "Bells!"

"Jake, chill. You scared her. It's okay, little bug, I've got you."

"Here, will she let me take her," Renee asked, reaching out for the little girl. At first, Kaley shied away but eventually went to her. "She's adorable!"

Then, to Bella's surprise, the little girl reached for Charlie. Her mom laughed and Bella just watched as the shy little girl fussed until her father picked her up awkwardly. As soon as he had her, he relaxed and offered her a piece of doughnut Jake had just handed him. "Dad, she hasn't eaten breakfast yet..." Bella began to protest but her father ignored her and they watched as Kaley hungrily downed the doughnut.

Around lunchtime, they were all sitting around the living room chatting and eating pizza when Alice let out a squeal. "Jasper's on TV!"

Everyone looked , including Kaley who clapped her hands. Bella smiled. "Yeah, there's your Uncle Jazz, Kayl's."

The camera zoomed in on the guys of Station 88 who were all standing around talking. "After last night's devastating fire, it is reported that four firefighters were seriously injured, while another was killed..." Alright, Kaley, let's go in the kitchen," Bella said, not wanting her to hear about this. They were just walking out when the anchor said, "The child of the family was also found dead from smoke inhalation. Edward Cullen, a two year department volunteer and single father, reportedly found the child on the second floor of the building." A picture of Edward came on the screen and Bella's stomach turned. Setting Kaley down, who thank goodness wasn't paying attention, Bella ran for the bathroom.

Alice came in, holding her hair back as she threw up the pizza she'd just eaten. Her mom came in shortly after. "I'm sorry," she said when she was done, "he came home this morning and he was so upset and..."

"Come on, honey, why don't we get out of the house for a little while?" Renee asked, handing her a wet towel. "We could go get pedicures!"

"Mom, I have Kaley..."

"Bring her. She'll like it!"

Rolling her eyes, Bella decided that it didn't sound like that bad of an idea. "Alright, she's still in her pajamas...it's been a weird day...let me get her changed and we can go."

"Can I go with you? I want to see the house," Alice confessed.

"Sure. Let's go."

"He has a really nice place for a bachelor!"

"He wasn't always a bachelor, besides, he has a little girl."

Alice shrugged and Bella decided to throw Kaley into the bath, knowing she hadn't had one the night before. While she bathed her, Alice picked out an outfit and they had her changed and ready to go in fifteen minutes. A beeping sound was coming from the phone base indicating a new message. Bella hit it, worrying it was something more to do with the fire. "Edward? It's me, Tanya. Please call me back. I saw on the news...just call me. I was worried. I meant what I said last night at your place. I miss you and I really do still love you."

Bella listened with her jaw clenched. Tanya was the girl she'd seen him with the night before. Obviously, the girl wanted him as more than a friend. She shook her head, picking Kaley up, and heading to the living room where Alice was waiting. "I heard," was all she said and Bella just shrugged, trying to act like she didn't care.

"It doesn't matter. He's not mine, Al. I'm just playing house, this isn't my life."

While she tried to convince Alice of that, Kaley was making it difficult. The little girl reached up and grabbed her chin, getting Bella's attention. It was like Kaley heard and understood what she'd just said and it broke her heart. Maybe Rose was right, maybe all she was going to do was hurt the amazing little girl in her arms. She'd tell Edward not to worry about a sitter for the gala, that she'd stay back with Kaley.

Bella was never the type to get pampered at a spa but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy pedicures. Had she known, though, what was to happen that day, she would have declined and gone to the library as originally discussed. They had just gotten into the small spa—which according to Alice, was really the only one in Forks—when they were seated. Kaley was even given a little chair to sit in beside Bella. The little lady that worked there got Kaley a little blow up basin to put her feet in and they let her pick out nail polish to paint her toenails. She was squealing in delight and Bella relaxed, knowing that Kaley was happy. It amazed her how that had become her mission in life in just a week of knowing the little girl.

What she wasn't expecting was what happened about fifteen minutes into their foot massages. Her mom was explaining that they had to leave in the evening because of her having to work the next morning at the bank—and how much of an idiot her boss was—when none other than Tanya walked in. She was with another girl who was carrying a small baby. Of course, Bella was the only one who knew her to see her and she tried to act like nothing was wrong. Kaley, though, seemed to sense Bella's unease and looked up at her. "It's okay, sweetie."

Kaley went back to playing and Bella cringed when Tanya went over to have her nails done, she was seated only about three feet away. "I can't believe what happened last night! Who wouldn't have thought there'd be so much action in this small town the couple nights you are staying here!"

"I know. Did you see the news? Edward was on there. He tried to save the little boy but just couldn't manage. He told me all about it last night."

Bella's heart sunk and she noticed that Alice and her mom were both looking at her. She grabbed her cell phone and sent them both a text **Do NOT mention Edward! Don't speak his name! I'll explain later! **They both knew what she was doing and waited expectantly with phones in hand. They nodded after reading it and Alice began talking about school. Bella couldn't pay attention. She listened in on Tanya's conversation again.

"He's so handsome...I mean, I love Ben but Edward just has that rawness to him. He's nice, too," the woman with the baby said.

"We both know that's not why we were together. The...you know...was amazing."

Bella wanted to walk over and slap her. Kaley splashed water onto the floor and frowned, looking like she was going to cry. Bella reached for her, trying to calm her down, and the worker grabbed a towel and dried up the floor without a second thought. "It's okay, little one. Accidents happen."

Kaley went back to being all smiles and swishing the water around with her tiny feet. Bella relaxed again and the woman pulled the water away, drying Kaley's feet and starting to buff her little nails. Bella sat back and let them work on her own. She heard the worker ask, "Kaley, sweetie, can you tell me your last name?"

"Cullen!" Kaley yelled loud enough that Bella was pretty sure Edward heard it all the way back at the station—three blocks away.

"Kaley Cullen, what a nice name. Mommy, do you mind if we put her initials on her big toes?"

Bella didn't know what to do but she did know that Tanya's head had swung around so fast Bella worried it would fly off. Tanya was looking directly at her now, as was everyone else, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm not her mom, just the babysitter and that's fine. She'll like it."

Tanya was now staring at Kaley and Bella felt sick. Something wasn't right with this woman. Bella wanted to grab Kaley and run. Everyone but Kaley had their feet done and Alice kept trying to make small talk to diffuse the tension. The worker had just finished putting a pretty little 'C' on Kaley when Tanya walked over to the girl and looked down. "They look so pretty, honey."

"Thanks," Kaley said shyly, looking to Bella with wide-eyes, obviously scared.

The woman blew on Kaley's feet to get them to dry a little quicker, probably figuring that Kaley wasn't going to wait for them to dry before running around. Bella was grateful for it because when she stood up, Kaley jumped off her little chair and clung to her. "Mommy," Kaley whispered and Bella felt her heart shatter. It all made sense and seconds later, it was confirmed. "Mrs. Cullen?" the woman who was doing Tanya's nails asked, trying to get her to come back over to the chair. Tanya smiled at them before walking back over and sitting down.

As soon as the bill was paid—which her mom insisted on doing—Bella carried Kaley out and straight to the car. "Honey, what's wrong? We could stay down here in town..."

"I have to go see Edward."

"Why? What's going on? Who was that woman?"

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure she's his wife—and Kaley's mother." As soon as she had Kaley in her car seat, Bella sent Edward a text. **I need you to meet me at your place as soon as you can. **Bella explained what she knew to her mom and Alice before dropping them off at the local mall—she didn't want them to sit around the house while she and Edward talked. Besides, her father and Jake were watching some game on TV and wouldn't be much company for them. Kaley was babbling away about nothing in particular and Bella drove straight to Edwards. No sooner were they in the door and Bella was sitting at the kitchen counter did he come running into the house.

"Bella? Kaley?" he asked, obviously frantic. "Bella, what's wrong?"

Bella looked at him solemnly from the kitchen table, shaking her head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me what? How about why you didn't tell me you're still seeing your ex? How could you ask me to go to the gala with you if you were with her?"

"I'm not..."

Bella rolled her eyes and hit the play button on the machine. "Tanya, again. The same woman that called you on Saturday, the same woman you had at your house last night! Why didn't you tell me about her?"

"How do you know that she's even Tanya? You met her?"

"No. I took Kaley to get a pedicure with my mom and Alice. Tanya was there, Edward. She recognized Kaley and Kaley recognized her. She was with some girl and was talking about how you tried to save that little boy last night, that you told her about it. I mean, I get that I'm just the neighbor...I'm just some naïve college kid, but you didn't have to lie to me!" she lowered her voice, knowing Kaley was in the next room, so that it came out a whisper.

"Bella, Tanya saw her? Tanya approached her today?" Edward asked, obviously angry.

"Yes! She walked right over to her. Kaley knew who she was..."

"That's impossible!"

"It happened! She grabbed onto me when Tanya was there and whispered 'mommy' to me."

"Bella, Kaley has never seen Tanya—not since the day she was born. There's no way she recognized her as her mother!"

"Well, then who the hell was she saying 'mommy' to? Huh, Edward? You know, it's not about Kaley...it's about you. I can't believe after what happened...I just thought we were more than friends...I guess I really am just the other woman. I have to go, this little arrangement we have isn't going to work..."

"Bella, just wait..."

"No. You had plenty of time to explain and you didn't! You avoided the subject every time I brought it up."

"Where are you going?" he asked as she slipped her flip flops on and headed down to the front door.

"I'm leaving, I'm going back to Seattle for the weekend with my parents. I have to get away from all of this..."

"Don't go. Please just wait..."

"Goodbye, Edward," Bella said firmly, reaching for the knob when she heard a small voice at the top of the steps.

"Mommy!" Kaley exclaimed. It wasn't the way she got excited for Edward, this was a sad. A little girl begging her not to leave. Through her little tears, Kaley exclaimed again, "No go, mommy!"

Bella stopped in her tracks, the pieces her heart was already shattered in were being shattered themselves. "I'm sorry," she said, seeing Edward standing in stunned silence, "I have to go. I knew this couldn't end well, I knew that I'd just up hurting you both. I have to..."

Bella turned and walked out, telling herself that she'd let Alice have the house. She'd get over it, she had to. There was no way she could keep living beside them, pretending that nothing had happened. Hearing Kaley call her mommy, begging her to stay, broke her heart.

Edward sat with his cell phone in his hand, calling everyone he could to find her. His first call had been to Jasper, who'd given him Alice's cell phone. It stopped there. She wouldn't tell him how to get a hold of her—that she was on Bella's side and respecting Bella's wishes. When Tanya had left, even when she was pregnant, Edward was able to watch her walk away without too much pain. He was fine with her leaving. Now that Bella was gone, he wanted to cry—which he had already done after shutting himself into his big bathroom so Kaley wouldn't know.

His daughter had never, ever called anyone 'mommy'. Not his mom, not Rosalie, not anyone. Yet, today, after seeing her real mother and not even knowing her, had called Bella her mother. It killed him just how much he wished it were true. Even after a night of fires and a dead child, waking up next to Bella had made for the best morning he'd had in years. The feel of her body against his still sent butterflies to his stomach as he remembered it.

He tried to remind himself that he'd only known her for a week, that she didn't want to be tied down, that she had her whole future ahead of her, but it didn't work. He had held Kaley, trying to explain that Bella had to go away and it was just going to be them again. Now, while he sat trying to figure out what to do, he could hear Kaley crying in her room. He knew more than anything that if he was going to win Bella back, he'd have to be honest with her about Tanya—and get her to sign those divorce papers. The other option he had was to give in to Tanya but still have Bella as someone who'd be there for Kaley. He called his mom first, knowing he had to at least explain to Bella what was going on. "I need you to take Kaley. Bella left for Seattle."

**I still can't believe all of the reviews I've been getting and I'm working on something special as a reward :) I'm trying to reply back so be patient with me, all you awesome reviewers! Keep it up and I'll keep updating like this. I love you all! LP xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 9**

Edward had no idea where he was going but knew he had to get to her. Bella might not want a relationship with him but he refused to let her think that he was still seeing Tanya. He was going to do everything in his power to fix their friendship—if not their relationship. He shook his head in frustration as his car hit eighty and he still pushed down the accelerator.

After holding Kaley for almost an hour, trying to explain that Bella left because of him, not because of her, he had cried on his own for a good half hour. It only took three hours to get to Seattle from Forks and he was making record time, briefly he wondered if he'd beat her there. That's when it occurred to him that maybe dealing with the horrors of the night before and sleep deprivation were both starting to get to him. He had known this girl for one week—well 8 days—but who was counting? There was no reason for him to be so angry with her about leaving the way she did. He had begun treating her like the mother of his child, not the babysitter of his child, or even just simply his neighbor. She had no reason to trust him.

He realized he was really directing the anger he felt for Tanya towards her and that wasn't fair. He was hurt and once again it was Tanya was causing it. _Maybe I should just let her see Kaley. Maybe that will put an end to all of this. You married her. For better or worse. Work it out. You want a mother for Kaley, well here she is, totally willing. Don't back a young college student into it. _Bella couldn't stay away forever—she was his neighbor and still had to go to class- but Bella's goodbye couldn't have been more final that afternoon.

With a deep sigh, he turned the car back around, this time driving at whatever pace he felt like at the time. He missed his daughter but knew that this was his fault. He had let a woman into his life, he treated her the way a husband would treat a wife, and he let Kaley witness it. He'd done the one thing he'd tried to protect her from for two years—becoming attached to someone who had no reason to stick around. He tried remembering all of the good days he had with Tanya. The nights he'd come home and she'd be waiting in bed for him, sneaking home in between classes for a little afternoon delight when they were trying to conceive Kaley, and even just having someone to wake up to in the morning.

Ten minutes from being back home, he called his ex. "Tanya?"

"Edward! I'm glad you called! Try not to be mad at me but I ran into that babysitter and Kaley earlier. She's so beautiful!"

"Tanya...I think I want to sit down and talk...I think we need to."

Bella moped the rest of the day—and the whole weekend. What she really wanted was to feel little Kaley playing with her hair or the feel of Edward's arms around her. Alice wanted her to drink. Jake wanted her to go out with him. All of these things resulted in Bella barricading herself in her bedroom for the entire weekend, only coming out when her mom bribed her with lasagna on Sunday afternoon. Alice and her mom had gone in the car with her so that she could explain everything on Friday. Her mom knew the whole story and seemed to realize that Bella needed time on her own to think. Alice and her mom had both kindly put in that they thought Bella may have been seeing a relationship that wasn't there—and she believed them.

When he didn't attempt to call her after Friday, she figured he'd given up and she figured she might as well jump on the bandwagon. Now, it was Sunday afternoon and she was pushing her lasagna around, disappointed with herself that she couldn't even pretend to want it. For the hundredth time, her mind drifted to Kaley and she ached. She wanted that little girl but knew Kaley wasn't hers to take. Suddenly, she sat up straight, catching the attention of her mom. "Shit!"

"What?" Renee asked, looking at her like she'd lost her mind.

"The gala's next Saturday! I told him I'd ask around for a sitter," she said, jumping up and running to get her laptop. She turned it on at the table, her lasagna forgotten. Logging into the school's email site, she selected her classes and emailed a letter addressed to everyone in them. She expressed that she was looking for a sitter, giving Kaley's age and the date of the gala. Within twenty minutes, she had five responses.

Her mother just watched, chewing away at her dinner, before saying, "Honey, maybe you should just let it go. I'm sure he has plenty of people..."

"There's already a bunch of people willing to watch her. I don't want him to get just anyone, these people are all background cleared and like kids..."

She then sent the list of names and numbers to Alice, asking her to pass the information along to Jasper so he could give it to Edward. Alice responded back quickly, telling her that she needed to calm down and drink something alcoholic, that Kaley wasn't hers. She managed to eat a few bites of lasagna before hugging her mom and going upstairs to pack. She couldn't put it off any longer, she had to head back to Forks—she had an eight am class the next day.

Edward looked across the table at one of the most expensive restaurants in Forks and couldn't seem to find it in himself to even smile. Tanya was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, though. This was always her thing, the expensive restaurants, going to the movies, shopping for expensive clothes in Seattle—for him, it was just a night of acting like someone he wasn't. He thought about the easiness of being around Bella. Of just being able to sit on her front porch while his daughter drifted off to sleep in her arms...

"Edward, you look like you're a hundred miles away. What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Kaley. I miss her."

"So do I."

"You haven't even really met her yet."

"That doesn't mean I don't love her..."

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm just not ready for her to be around you yet, to get attached..."

Tanya looked away, the smile dropping from her face before saying, "Finish your beer and let's get out of here. Does Esme have her for the night?"

"No. I'm picking her up after I drop you off. She's with Emmett and Rosalie."

"What time do you have to get her?" she asked, taking the last bite of her cheesecake.

"I don't have to get her at a specific time but..."

Reaching over, she took his hand and smiled coyly, "Do we have time to go back to your place for a little bit?"

"Tanya...no. I need time to figure out...to figure things out. Let's just start off slow."

"It's just sex, Edward."

"It's not just sex. God, you haven't changed."

"I have changed. I want this with you. Those other guys meant nothing to me..."

"They meant enough to throw away your husband and child...I can't...I can't do this. I'm sorry," he stood up and grabbed his beer. Finishing it, he motioned for her to finish her water and told her he'd be in the car. His phone had rang twice since he'd went into the restaurant but he refused to answer it—it was Jasper—no doubt calling to tell him what and idiot he was for even thinking Tanya and him could work. He was in the car, having paid their bill at the entrance and Tanya came out shortly after he was settled in and opened the door. "Edward, I'm sorry...you have no idea how sorry I am for what I've done..."

He was sick and tired of this. Sick and tired of everyone trying to tell him what was right and what was wrong. He was sick and tired of always being the one to get screwed over. He gave up becoming a lawyer to raise this woman's child on his own and now she wanted him back. He was done with her, done with worrying about Kaley having a mom. If she wanted to meet his daughter, she could. He was tired of fighting her. He knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in anyway. He thought about the gala and how badly he needed a sitter. "You can see her."

Tanya sat down in her seat, not saying anything for a good thirty minutes. "I can see her?"

"Yes. Under a few conditions. You never come over unless invited, most importantly—I swear to God you'll never see her again—you don't mention or even hint that you're her mother until I say it's okay."

"Okay...I can do that...when can I see her?"

"Come by tomorrow evening."

"Okay. What about us?"

"There is no us. There can't be. You can't have her just to get me. It doesn't work that way. Tanya, if you are agreeing to his, you can't get mad or frustrated with me and take it out on her."

"I know. I'd never do that."

Edward snorted as he started the car. Maybe there was a sliver of hope that this Tanya wouldn't do that but the old Tanya would do it with a smile. They were quiet the whole way to her friend Carmen's, where she was staying. They only talked long enough to decide on an exact time. Edward felt like he was making a deal with the devil.

The devil was something he'd rather have to fight than to dream about that little boy again. It started out as him and Sam just going into the house that wasn't even on fire. It was just routine, like the drills they sometimes did with condemned houses that they used for practice. It wasn't until they made it up the stairs that they'd find him. Suddenly, the house would be going up around them and he'd see him, sprawled on his little bed. Every time he'd pick him up, Kaley would be the one dead in his arms and Bella would be where he'd just picked Kaley up from. She'd be on the bed, ashes falling on her pale skin and red lips. He'd hear Sam yell to him to move but he couldn't. He'd stand there, looking at Bella and holding Kaley to him. Just when he'd reach out to Bella, a bright flash would hit and he'd wake up.

The meeting he'd attended the day after the fire had been a brutal one. Everyone needed to know the story and all he wanted to do was hide. He wasn't able to save the child and it killed him. James had pulled him aside, suggesting he'd see a therapist. They were in the middle of their conversation when Bella sent him the text and he took off for home. He knew that night had messed with him and that Bella leaving had to be contributing to the dreams but it killed him every time. He'd wake up, sweat pouring off of him, gripping the sheets.

He'd driven to Carmen's that Friday, expecting to see Tanya there. She was. They started talking, catching up, but the whole time he kept checking his phone to see if Bella would call back. Tanya asked him to dinner and he'd agreed—though he knew he'd have to pay for it. Of course dinner had gone the way he figured it would.

Now, he was outside with Kaley, pushing her on the swing set. He knew Bella was back, Peanut was in one of her windows and there was no way she left the dog all weekend. He wanted to go talk to her, to see her, to explain that he'd never meant for what happened to happen...he didn't mean to lie. He knew with holding information was just as bad as lying—hell, Tanya never said, "I'm not cheating on you," she just never said that she was.

Kaley told him she wanted down to go read books so he followed her in and grabbed the stack from the floor in her room. She immediately got excited when she looked at them, pulling the one with the Disney stories out. "Bella!" she cried.

Edward stiffened, hoping that he'd heard her wrong. When she said Bella's name again, he picked up the book that was on her lap and saw what she wasn't pointing at. "No, little bug, that's_ Belle_. Not Bella. _Belle_."

"Mommy!" Kaley exclaimed, pointing to the picture again.

"Kaley, look at me. Look at daddy. That's not..."

"Mommy!" Kaley persisted, as most two year olds would.

Edward then did something he hadn't done in two years. He lost his patience and screamed, "Dammit, Kaley, she's not your mother!"

As soon as he said it, he hated himself. Kaley stared at him stunned for a few seconds before shying away from him. Unlike most little girls her age, she began to cry silently instead of sobbing. Tears came down her face as she put her head in her hands like she was ashamed. He reached out to her and she moved away, walking back towards her room. That's when the full force of what he'd done hit him. That little girl relied on him to be both parents, now she probably felt like she had neither. Going back to Kaley's room he found her curled up in front of her changing table. "Kaley, baby, daddy's sorry. I'm so sorry, little bug," he cooed, picking her up as she tried to push him away to no avail.

He carried her, taking her back to his room and laid down with her, still crying, on his chest. He managed another first that night. For the first time since she was born, Kaley watched through her tears as her father cried plenty of his own.

Bella sat in her tiny living room, knees pulled to her chest, as she watched an old horror movie. Alice sat beside her, sharing her large tub of ice cream. It was eight o'clock Sunday night and they were both tired from the drive out. "I know what will cheer you up!" Alice said, bouncing the entire couch as she sat on her knees. "Dress shopping! You heard Jake, he said he'd take you!"

"Alice, no. Edward will be there. I can't." Bella hadn't gotten the opportunity to tell Alice that she had been asked to go by Edward. Things had spiraled downwards so quickly that she really hadn't gotten the chance and now it seemed pointless.

"You can. Come on, you can't tell me you aren't a little bit angry, that some part of you doesn't want to show up and woo his socks off."

"Woo? Who says 'woo'?"

"Oh, come on! You could make him so jealous!"

"That's not fair to Jake," Bella said, using a different strategy.

"Then go by yourself. Please, Bells! I don't want to go without you."

"Is this about us going together or you wanting to play dress-up with me?"

"Maybe a little of both..."

"No."

"I took off a whole week of work to come down here early to stay with you. You owe me," Alice announced, obviously switching up her own strategy.

"I'll think about it. Now, shut up, the zombies are going to be waking up any minute now..."

Four days later, the inevitable happened. She had gone through so much effort not to see Edward, that Alice decided to just do it in attempt to get her mind off of things. Like pulling off a band-aid. She'd gotten a call from her best friend after being at the elementary school, telling her to join her for coffee at the local bakery. What started as just coffee turned into something much worse: Bella standing in front of a full-length mirror with people prodding and pinching at the dress she was wearing. "I hate you, Alice. I have no idea why we're friends."

"Because your dad is the police chief and he made you be my friend," Alice said sweetly, standing behind Bella. The white dress had rhinestones that came down in a swirl from the slit that ran the whole way to her mid-thigh. It was beautiful for a ballroom dancer but not for her. Bella watched in the mirror as Alice played with her hair, obviously trying to figure out how to style it.

"How much is this?" Bella asked the snooty shop owner.

"Five hundred seventy five."

Bella burst into laughter, "Alright, yeah, I'm just going to go change..."

The owner looked at her with a pinched face and Alice sighed, following her towards the dressing room. In true Alice fashion, she walked right in with Bella. "Okay, look, it's a bit expensive..."

"It's really expensive. Ally, I'm broke right now. I have no money. I can't afford this...or any dress for that matter. Forget about it, I'm not going."

"I can't afford anything here, either," her friend confessed. "I just wanted to get you out of the house for awhile. Why don't we go look around the mall for something we can afford. If you don't find anything, we'll look another day. I'll pay for it... an early birthday gift. Please?"

Bella looked at her friend, trying to decide if she wanted to kiss or smack her. She chose a hug, then turned so Alice could unzip the back. "We'll go to the mall under one condition, I get to pay for us to have soft pretzels for dinner."

"Deal!"

The girls made their way through one department store after another. Bella went along with it, not wanting to admit to Alice that she didn't want to go home. It was too hard living so close to Edward and Kaley. Monday evening she had seen them outside sitting at the picnic table. Tanya had been with them and while Edward looked nervous, it wasn't unusual, and Bella thought the three of them looked pretty happy. If she went outside, he went to the other side of the house. If Peanut needed to go out, she let him out and would wait for him inside. Alice was right, she needed to get out, though she'd never tell her that.

They were in Penny's looking at the prom dresses when Alice pulled an emerald green dress off of a rack. "This is cute!" Bella rolled her eyes, having heard Alice say that for the past few hours.

"Al, why don't _you_ try it on?" Bella asked, seeing how much her friend was admiring it.

"Alright, I'll try it," Alice said without hesitation.

While she was in the dressing room, Bella came across a beautiful yellow dress that was short and had lots of netting that poofed it out underneath. It wasn't something Bella would have chosen for herself but the picture of Belle dancing with the Beast came to mind, though it was a lot shorter and a little more modern. The very bottom layer of the mesh was ripped and she could see that it was marked down fifty percent. Grabbing it, she darted into the room beside Alice's, not wanting her friend to see it—she'd never wear something that short and she didn't want to tell Alice why she chose it.

The dress had lace over top and a small goldenrod ribbon tried to the side, adding a little detail. The top was heart shaped and accented Bella's small breasts. She had a tiny waist and it showed as the lace led into the bottom which fell just above her knees since she was so short. Pushing the poof down a little, she figured it would be so bad if she could just cut out a few mesh layers—besides the fact that one was already ripped. "You have to see this dress...where'd you go?"

"I'm in here, Alice," Bella called, to busy trying to zip up the dress she'd put on to think to lock the door. It flew open to reveal Alice in a stunning ballroom gown that had a slit up to the knee. It was almost metallic looking and looked amazing against Alice's tanned skin and dark, short hair. "Ally.."

"Bella..." The girls both said at the same time before laughing. "You look amazing!"

Before she could stop her, Alice had come over and spun her around, zipping up the dress. "It's perfect, Bells!"

"I don't know..." Bella began, trying to find some flaw with it. "It's a little...short..."

"You're short. That dress is made for a tall model, it falls just above your knees," Alice persisted, "this is it. This is...you."

**I hope you don't hate me for this one. :/ The next chapter is going to be done in two parts. So, chapter 10 and 11 will be parts I and II so they will be updated at the same time. I had to do something to say thank you for all the reviews I've gotten and such great responses. If you got through this chapter the next two I think you'll love. Hang in there, it can't always be butterflies and rainbows ;) LP xoxoxoxoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 10**

**The Gala Part I**

The dress was hanging in the closet, the shoes were bought, and Project Avoid Edward was working flawlessly. She left ten minutes earlier than she needed to avoid him in the morning, stayed in the house to avoid him in the afternoon, and only went to the library when his car wasn't outside the fire station. She was sick and this was unhealthy—two things that she was completely aware of. Her biggest problem was that the grass was almost as tall as Peanut—which meant it could still go a few more days since her dog was only six inches tall but still—it needed cut. She came up with a plan.

Waiting for a fire, she got her wish that Saturday. Edward didn't appear to be home anyway and she was helping Alice to get ready for a date with Jasper when it happened. The sirens went off and Bella told Alice she was going to cut the grass. "Bella...it's eight thirty and almost dark out..."

"I know but it needs it and if I don't do it now when I'm motivated it won't happen," Bella lied—very poorly.

Alice rolled her eyes, seeing right through her, "What if he comes back before going out for the call? Don't look at me like that, I saw you looking to see if his car was there."

"Just let it go, Al."

"This isn't normal, Bells!" Alice called from upstairs as Bella made her way down.

"I know!" she shot back.

Surprisingly, pushing the heavy lawnmower helped her get out some frustration and she found herself humming as she went along. When she saw someone approach her in the dark, she about jumped out of her skin. "What are you doing? Are you aware that it's dark out. You aren't supposed to do this in the dark!"

"Jesus, Jasper, you scared the hell out of me," Bella breathed, turning off the mower. "Wait...I thought you were out fighting fires..."

He chuckled, "We're done. There wasn't a fire, it was a car accident and they just needed us to help out."

Bella glanced nervously towards Edward's house, praying his car wasn't there—it was. _Shit! _"Oh..."

"Alice said you two were coming to the gala. Should be a good time. Rose is doing most of the planning and it's coming along well...Look, what I really want to say is that Tanya is a bitch and he doesn't love her."

"What...Jasper..."

"I know everyone else is tiptoeing around this subject but I'm tired of his moping. He's going through hell and now he's even letting that bitch see Kaley..." Bella couldn't believe he was venting all of this at her. She didn't know what to say so she let him keep going. "I know she's just going to take off on him again and probably Kaley being that she's a bitch like that but I'm tired of all of this...I'm sorry...I think I shouldn't be rambling to you about this. I'm just annoyed."

Bella stood in shock with her mouth gaping open. Of all of Edward's friends Jasper had been the most timid—never had she expected this from him. Emmett, sure, but not from Jasper. Then she processed what he'd said and was in more shock. "Wait...what?"

"I'm just being mopey now too...I'm sorry."

"No! I mean about Tanya taking off on him..."

"He didn't tell you? She fucked like a hundred other guys and never told him. He found out accidentally_ both _times...even after he had forgiven her the first time. She was pregnant during the second time!"

"Holy shit," Bella whispered, finding it hard to breathe.

"Yeah. Like I said, total bitch."

"Aren't they seeing each other again?"

"No. Not in that sense. They're just kind of hanging out, I guess. He's letting her see Kaley which is ridiculous considering three weeks ago he wouldn't let them near each other. Kaley had never even seen Tanya before that day you had her..."

"Jasper! Hey, are you ready?" Alice called, walking towards them.

"Yeah! Well, Bells, I would tell you to stop mowing but between you and Edward's neurotic behaviors these past couple days, this is probably pretty sane. Just don't run anything over..."

"I'll try not to. Thanks, Jazz, for telling me all that."

"I didn't really mean to. I just couldn't hold it in anymore." With an easy shrug, he walked away and Bella was left staring after him. Eventually, she began pushing again, having a lot to think about. She was just at the back of the yard when she saw Edward pacing the lawn. It had been over a week since she'd seen him and had to lean against the mower to keep herself upright. After realizing she was staring, she went back to mowing, heading towards the hill of death—as Alice liked to call it.

"Bella, wait!" she heard him call and she debated whether or not to keep going. She didn't know what she was trying to prove but she went right up the hill. "Bella!"

When she made it to the top, she realized adrenaline got her up there but she couldn't hold it anymore and started to get scared. It would roll back on her if she let go. She looked behind her long enough to see that Edward was climbing towards her before her sneakers started to slide in the damp grass from the evening moisture. Just as her knees almost touched the ground, she felt him come up behind her and grab the handle. She slid out from underneath him, tears already forming as she made her way back down the hill.

He pulled it back down and stopped the motor, turning towards her with his face contorted in a way Bella couldn't quite read. "Don't ever do that again. I don't care how pissed off you are at me! I don't care who you have to call. You could have seriously hurt yourself!"

Tears were coming on full force as she leaned against the back of the house. "Why didn't you just tell me about your wife?"

"I tried..."

"No," Bella realized she was full-on crying now, "you should have told me before. I should have known Kaley wasn't supposed to be around her!"

"I couldn't talk about it. I couldn't, okay?"

"Why? What, some court order..."

"It hurt!" he yelled.

They both became quiet for a long time before Bella slid down to the ground and he sat in the grass in front of her. "I don't know what to do...about us..." Bella began.

"I'm sorry for everything, Bella."

"I'm sorry, too," she said quietly.

"This isn't healthy...us avoiding each other like this."

"You knew I was avoiding you?" Bella asked.

"It was pretty obvious."

"What do we do now?"

Pulling at his hair, he muttered, "I don't know..."

"We could just try to be...I don't know...just friends. Nothing complicated..."

"I'd like that. We have a bit of a complication though."

"Tanya?"

"No. Kaley. She's having trouble coping with you leaving. She really, really likes you and I don't know where she got this mommy thing from but..."

"I think I know. That day at the salon, the lady that was working on her toenails referred to me as mommy. I think that's why Kaley whispered it when she grabbed me—she was afraid of Tanya—she was just asking for me to hold her. I didn't realize it at the time. I thought she was telling me that Tanya was her mother. Now, I know she is."

"I should have told you but I swear to God I wasn't seeing her then," Bella saw that he desperately wanted her to believe him.

"But you are now?"

"No. We went out one time and that was it. I can't respect or trust her anymore..."

"So why are you letting her around Kaley?" Bella asked, suddenly angry with him.

"She's her mother, Bella. That little girl needs a mom and I didn't realize how badly she was wanting a mother until you came into the picture."

"What if she hurts her? What if she leaves again? What if she says or does something..."

"Bella, I'm not leaving them alone together and Tanya isn't letting on that she's her mother. Wait...who told you about her leaving?"

"Jasper," Bella said sheepishly, "about ten minutes ago when he picked up Alice."

With a heavy sigh, he said, "Kaley's with my mom right now. I have to go pick her up. I'll cut this tomorrow. Friends?"

"Friends."

"Oh, and Bella, I just...Kaley is going through a lot right now and I'm not trying to be a dick but could you try to lay low for awhile where she's concerned? She's confused about the mommy thing and she just needs some time."

"Yeah, of course," Bella said, taking his hand as he helped her stand up. She tried to act like it didn't bother her but secretly she felt like she was being ripped apart. She missed Kaley as much as she missed him.

Edward was amazed with how the night before had turned out. They were all at the station working on things for the gala when the alarm went off. Rose told him she'd take Kaley to his mom's. He left with Emmett in his car but was back within twenty minutes—it was just a small accident—nothing serious. He'd gone home to change and couldn't help but hear the lawn mower running. It took him almost five minutes to decide what to do when she decided for him by almost chopping herself into pieces with the stupid stunt she'd pulled.

It was hard seeing her let alone being around her. It was even harder hearing her talk about her concerns for Kaley. She sounded like a parent and Edward's heart broke all over again. Now, a woman was feeling her way up his leg and he laughed as Emmett tried on a purple velvet top hat. They were getting fitted for tuxes and Edward was pretty much forced there against his will. Pain filled his chest as he thought about the fact that he was supposed to be taking Bella. Obviously, that wouldn't be happening.

When it came time to pick the color vests and ties they wanted, Emmett and Jasper already knew what they were ordered to get by their girls. Edward was alone in his decision. He considered going with the dark gray but then saw a yellow color that reminded him of Kaley's picture of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. He wasn't going with anyone so it wasn't like they'd clash if he picked the wrong color. He chose the yellow—much to the confusion of his two friends.

The day of the gala, Edward had Tanya come over around three, wanting to make sure things were going to be okay before he left. His ex wasn't thrilled with the idea that he'd be going without her to a big, fancy party and he wasn't thrilled about her staying with Kaley. He considered using the list Jasper had given him from Bella but knew Tanya being with her would happen eventually. He knew this wasn't something he wanted to show up to with Tanya at his side. Community members and officials would be there and most of them probably knew Tanya's bedside manner...literally.

She had reluctantly agreed and been on time. Now, he was brushing Kaley's hair and helping her into the Cinderella dress she insisted on wearing. With his tux on, he was being careful not to get anything on it and when she asked for something to eat, he was glad Tanya was already in the kitchen throwing together some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. "Kaley bug, daddy is going to go out for a little while this evening. Tanya is going to stay and play with you, okay?"

She seemed to be in serious thought about this and after a few seconds of her not saying anything, he picked her up and took her out to the kitchen. "Tanya, please call me if she needs anything. I mean it. I can be here in five minutes. You have my dad's number as well. If it's a medical emergency, call him first, then call me..." it was a million times harder to leave her with Tanya than it was to leave her with Bella.

"We'll be fine," Tanya replied, seemingly annoyed, which worried him even more. After about eight more kisses, he left so that Kaley would eat dinner. On his way out to the car, he saw Bella and Alice heading into their house. While they were both in regular clothes, he noticed that Bella had her hair done up so that it was in a neat knot with tendrils falling down around her face. Alice had her little bob curled and wore a deep green ribbon on top. Obviously, the girls weren't staying in tonight. He began to get excited and prayed that they would be heading to the gala. Then, he realized Bella could be going with someone else.

Fighting the thought, he got in the car and headed for the station. The fire hall looked awesome and as he walked in, Rose gave him a hug and Emmett handed him a cup of beer. "The place looks fantastic, you really outdid yourself."

"Thanks. It really didn't cost too, too much and Annie helped me out with a lot of it. The caterer was what killed us but we have enough tickets sold already to cover it. I know people will be buying them at the door, too. So, did you leave your daughter with the bitch?" Rosalie asked this last part like it fit into their conversation.

"Rose..." Emmett walked away, not wanting to witness a fight.

"Don't 'Rose' me. You know this is a bad idea."

"It can't be that bad...besides she's taking her to Carmen's and you know how Kaley is about babies. She's excited to see Carmen's little one."

"I hope you know what you're doing..."

"I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I haven't for the past two years."

"Bullshit, Cullen. Maybe in the romance department you're a little clueless but you're an awesome dad. That kid didn't come with an instruction manual and you're good enough to write one. Anyway...enough with the heavy...go help carry in the kegs."

Bella sat in a small diner with Alice across town. They had gone that morning to a salon forty five minutes away to avoid the ridiculousness of what happened at the salon in Forks. Jasper had bought both of their tickets, which were twenty five bucks a piece, as an apology for having to be there to help set up. Bella knew Alice loved to throw parties but had turned down the offer to go with him early so she could stay with Bella. So, they went out to get coffee before, in their dresses with their hair done up.

"Edward's going to be there," Alice said, stating something they both already knew.

"I know."

"You're bound to run into each other."

"I know."

"He's going by himself."

"What?" Bella gasped, her walls of indifference crumbling. "I thought for sure he'd be going with Tanya. I mean, they're not together but she's been hanging around a lot."

"Wow, stalk much?" Alice joked. "Anyway, he heard from Emmett that Tanya is staying home with Kaley."

"No. No. There's no way in hell he'd leave her alone with Tanya. Not for a night like this when there's something important going on."

"Why would Emmett lie?"

"Alice, I'm sorry but he had to have lied."

"Protective much?" Alice asked this time.

While Bella could argue the stalker accusation, she couldn't argue about her protectiveness of Kaley. The idea of her being with someone Edward didn't trust made her sick. Pushing her still full coffee away, she sighed and responded, "Yeah. I _am_ protective of her."

"Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..." Alice said, the humor completely gone from her voice. It was rare for Bella to snap like that.

"I'm sorry. I just hate this..." her resolve shattered as tears sprang to her eyes. "I love her. I love her more than I have ever loved any child. Ever. How many students have I worked with over the years? How many have I babysat for? I love _her_. It's not fair that I have no say in anything..."

"You're not her mother, Bells," Alice said gently, being honest with her.

"I know that. I know. She think I am, though. She thinks I walked away from her and that I don't care. She has no idea that the one who doesn't care is with her now. God, this is such a mess. My mom was right, I never should have let myself get attached..."

"You aren't attached, Bella, you're in love. With both of them. I don't see why this is so wrong. He loves you and you love him and you both love Kaley. It's a big loving...thing...all the way around...why can't you just let it happen?"

"He's older than me...like twenty five-ish and..."

"He's twenty-seven. You don't even know how old he is?"

"No. Ugh, I don't even know how old he is..." Bella repeated the realization, deeply frustrated.

Finally having enough, she said, "Alice, Jasper's at the hall already, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Call him with your phone. Tell him you want to talk to Edward."

Not about to ask why, Alice pulled her phone from her little silver clutch and called Jasper. "Hey, hon, is Edward with you? Can you get him for me? Um...just please do it..." Alice pulled the phone from her ear and whispered, "He wants to know why."

"Tell him...it's about...the yard..."

Rolling her eyes, she gave the answer Bella had lazily come up with. "Edward? Hey, it's Alice..."

Bella grabbed the phone from her and Alice looked at her in shock before whispering, "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Bella bit out, figuring Alice's question fit just fine.

"Um...getting things set up...is this Alice?" he asked, obviously confused.

"No! It's me! Why did you leave her with Tanya?" Bella gushed out.

"Bella," he said as if he had an epiphany. "I left her because I feel that Tanya is capable of watching her for a few hours tonight..."

"It's...it's...she's not!" Bella finally said, realizing that now that she had him on the phone she really didn't know what to say.

"You've never even met her. Why are you so upset about this? They're going to be at Carmen's most of the night anyway..."

"Who's Carmen?"

"Bella, stop. Look, Jasper told me you are coming. When you get here, I'll call on speaker and let you hear her say that she's fine. She's old enough that she'll tell us."

"I don't trust her."

"She's her _mother_, Bella," Edward snapped, obviously annoyed.

"No. She's not," Bella said, hanging up on him and handing the phone back to Alice. "Come on, people are going to be arriving soon, it's time to make an appearance."

**Um...you can just click for the next chapter :) I do warn you, the next chapter is rated M for a REASON! The other chapters have been mild but this one will be a little more...tangy -**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 11**

**The Gala Part II**

"Wow, there are a lot of people here." Bella looked over at Alice, who was driving her convertible Sunfire. Of course, they hadn't really considered their hair when they'd made that choice.

"Convertible was not a good look for us tonight, Al," she laughed as Alice tried to flatten down her curled bob. "I'm kidding. We still look fine. Calm down."

"I want to look good for Jazz tonight...by the way...I'm planning to leave here with him. You can drive my car home."

"What if I find someone? What if I want to have a one night stand?" Bella asked with a grin.

"Then I'd ask who you are and what you've done with my Bella."

"Come on," she said getting out of the car and seeing all the people outside. "The news is here?"

"Yup. Forks is small. This is a big deal."

There were balloons and lanterns strung all over the ceiling and after Alice handed two people at the door their tickets, they headed in. She spotted Rosalie right away. She was talking to Edward's mom and waving a greeting to people as they approached the bar. Bella pulled Alice in the opposite direction towards the snack table, not able to deal with Rosalie at the moment. There were people everywhere dressed to the nines and Bella began to wonder if this was something that she should really have come to.

When she spied Edward, he took her breath away and she froze. Alice slammed into her since Bella had practically been dragging her away from the blonde. "Bella...oh..." Alice said, her voice trailing off as they both took him in.

Edward was dressed in a tuxedo that was all black. He had his hair done in that messy but put together look that only he could pull off. It wasn't the tux that struck her, though. Underneath was a yellow vest over his white shirt. "Did you tell him what I was wearing?" Bella asked, breaking her gaze long enough to look at her friend.

"No! I haven't spoken to him, before earlier tonight, since you started your little avoiding project. I didn't even tell Jasper."

Bella turned back to him in stunned silence. He was talking to someone who had a notepad in hand and she figured it was a reporter. His name had come up a couple more times on the news over the past week and it looked like he'd be on their again. She was worried about Kaley and really wanted that phone call. She knew she would have to wait until he was done with the impromptu interview. Jasper suddenly walked towards them and Bella smiled.

He looked great in his dark green vest and already had the jacket off. While girls were checking him out left and right, Bella saw that he only had eyes for Alice. Soon after she spotted him, she spotted what he was holding. In both hands, he was carrying something that obviously had leaves and glitter. Approaching them he kissed Alice's cheek and presented her with a beautiful light green hydrangea wristlet. It wasn't the gaudy type that she could remember from her high school prom, it was only the size of a normal watch and looked beautiful as he slid it onto her friends wrist. Turning to Bella, he smiled, "Ally informed me that I had two dates tonight. I wasn't sure what you were wearing but figured white matched anything."

Bella was shocked. It was a pretty wristlet for herself that had tiny babies breath flowers and white hydrangeas. "Jazz, it's beautiful..."

"Well, then, would you mind if I stole our date for a few minutes? I have some people to introduce her to."

Bella did mind and Alice obviously knew that because she said, "Babe, why don't we wait..."

She stopped her, pushing back her loneliness to make sure Alice enjoyed her night. "No, go ahead...I'll mingle."

"Alright. I have my cell. Call if you need and can't find me."

Bella sighed, watching them walk away and studied the wristlet for a little while longer. She headed towards the doors and figured she could use some fresh air. A few benches lined the side of the street she was on and she plopped down on one, her feet already hurting. She convinced herself to stay, remembering that once the food was served, everyone would be sitting together. The truth was, she never felt so alone.

"Hello," a guy about her age said, sitting down beside her.

"Oh, hey," she said, only glancing up briefly.

"Are you here with someone?"

"No," Bella sighed, looking back over at him. "I came with a friend but she's with her boyfriend now. What about you?"

"I'm going solo as well," he sighed back, "would you like a drink?"

"Um..."

"Alright, I can take a hint. At least come in with me. We can buy our own drinks and talk. Sound better?"

Bella shrugged. "Why not?"

This guy actually turned out to be pretty funny and was good company. They were just laughing at a lady who was wearing something that would put Lady Gaga to shame when she saw Edward coming towards them. He smiled when he saw her and it wasn't just her imagination that he looked her up and down. "Bella! There you are...I've been looking...Sam...you two know each other?" he asked, giving her that nervous look again.

"Um...as of ten minutes ago."

"Wait, you're Bella? As in 'the Bella'?" Sam asked shaking his head.

"I...huh?"

"Bella, this is Sam Ulrey, he's a firefighter for the next county. We work together a lot..."

"I've heard so much about you! I thought you said you weren't here with anyone."

"I wasn't," Bella said, using the past tense on purpose and raising an eyebrow at Edward.

"Well, I'm going to go. It was nice meeting you, Bella. Edward, see ya around."

When he left, she spun toward him. "I want to call Kaley."

"Woah. Can you wait ten seconds so I can tell you that you look beautiful?"

"No, where's your phone?" Bella asked, stepping closer to him.

"Alright, alright. Here," he said taking it out and hitting some buttons.

"Hello?" a woman's voice came over the phone.

"Hey, how are things going?" Edward asked calmly, showing Bella that he was obviously doing it for her benefit more than his.

"Good. Great...when are you coming home?"

Bella immediately went on alert and it was clear that Edward didn't like her tone either. "Why?"

"She just seems really fussy for me..."

"Tanya, I can come home now. Just say the word..."

"No. I mean, we're fine..."

"Can I talk to Kaley?"

"She's napping."

"She just woke up from a nap before I left this afternoon. Is she okay? Does she have a fever?"

"No. I think she's okay. Just tired."

"Alright...well...if you want me to come home call. Call me as soon as she wakes up, though. I want to talk to her."

He ended the call and looked at Bella. "See? She's napping. There isn't much damage Tanya can do if Kaley's sleeping. They'll be okay."

"I have a bad feeling," she stated. As much as Bella hoped against hope she was just being paranoid, she could see all over Edward's face that he was just as worried.

"Come on, let's get to our seats, I'm assuming you're sitting with Alice and she's waving us over. They're going to be serving dinner soon."

He pulled her chair out for her and she sat down between him and Alice. They were at a round table consisting of her, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle. She couldn't help but feel like everyone was staring at her and when Edward looked down he saw her wrist. "Those are nice."

"Oh, my date got them for me," Bella said with a grin.

Edward's jaw dropped and she had to stop herself from giggling. Jasper heard the exchange and chuckled. "Yup. Picked them out myself."

Edward relaxed a little then and shook his head. "Would it bother you if I were here with someone else?" she whispered.

"No. We're just friends...I would wonder why you aren't sitting with him though."

After she picked at her steak for awhile, she never was a big meat eater, she saw Edward watching her with a frown. She was about to push her plate away when he asked, "You're not eating anything else?"

"Nah. The food is great but I'm not in the steak kind of mood tonight."

Without saying anything, he took the steak from her plate and forked over his potatoes and other vegetables. "Keep eating." She went to protest but he was already turned to talk to his dad. Sighing, she stabbed a piece of squash and started chewing.

It didn't take long for the DJ to stop and the band to start. They were a local cover band playing all of the favorites: Sweet Caroline, two different Journey songs, Brown-Eyed Girl, and a lot of other classics Bella recognized. Alice had drug her to the floor every time she heard a song she liked and Bella had long ago quit putting up a fight. "It seems your Avoid Edward Project is going pretty badly..." she yelled over the music.

"Why does he have to look so damn good in a tux? I mean yellow? Really?"

"I think it's a perfect coincidence."

"I think it's an omen. A bad one."

"Would you stop it? Do you see the way he's been looking at you tonight? The wooing is working out well, even if your avoidance project is not."

"So what? I've wooed him. Now where does that leave us?"

"Where do you want it to lead you?"

"Kaley!" Bella suddenly realized that Tanya had never called Edward back. Since dinner he'd been trying to make appearances around members of the community and making sure things were going okay. They hadn't taken time to hear from Kaley. "I have to find Edward."

He was towards the back of the room talking to someone who looked important when Bella tried to put on a smile like nothing was wrong and walked over to him. "We're working on the ice and water rescues and we've been working with the airport in the next town so that we can store things in one of their hangars. We'll be only the fourth county in Washington with that type of training..."

"I need to talk to you," she said with a whisper.

"Bella..."

"Who is this beautiful lady? Has our local bachelor found his girl?" the sharply dressed man beside them asked, his attention solely on Bella.

"Um...no. Mayor Hale, this is Isabella Swan, my new neighbor and good friend."

"Ah, Ms. Swan. My daughter has mentioned you. I hear you're great with little Kaley Ann."

"She is," Edward put in.

"That's what I need to talk to you about," Bella said, slightly shocked that this man was Rose's father. Edward reached out to touch her hand, obviously trying to get her to stop staring at the mayor.

"If you'll excuse us, sir. It was good seeing you again."

They hadn't even gotten four steps away before Bella glared at him. "When you're done partying with Rose's family do you think maybe we should call your daughter?"

"Alright, come on. It's too loud in here."

While she was still irritated with him, guilt began to slam into her. She reminded herself again that she had no claim to this man or his daughter. His divorce wasn't an official divorce which meant he was a married man. His daughter was now with his wife and in any other circumstance, this would not be scary as hell. She hated how disappointed he looked after what she said to him about his partying. He deserved to party. He deserved a nice long vacation away from his life. She knew he wouldn't take it though, he wouldn't leave Kaley for that long.

By the time he had Tanya on the phone, she was beginning to fight the feeling of dread she'd had when it was first brought to her attention that Tanya would have her. For Edward's sake, she would see that Kaley was fine and let it go...for now. She picked up on the first ring and didn't both with pleasantries. "Hey. Edward, I think she's okay now. She's up and playing and she's fine."

"Why didn't you call me? We...I've been worried," Edward said, glancing at Bella.

"I'm sorry. She just woke up a few minutes ago and she's watching cartoons."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Hi, daddy."

"Hey, baby, are you having fun with Tanya?" Bella's heart melted at how his face lit up when her voice came over the phone...it also clenched to hear how much anxiety was in _his_ voice.

"Yeah...miss you."

"I know. I'll be home later tonight. I love you."

"I lub you too," she said a little more cheerfully.

He hung up. "See? She's fine."

They were on the roof of the station and from downstairs, the lead singer announced, "Alright, this one goes out to the women behind the brave men of Station 88." The beautiful voice of Etta James came through the ceiling, drifting up to them as "At Last" began to play.

"May I have this dance?" Edward asked after putting his phone away.

"I don't...friends...remember?" He was close to her and she was having trouble that no-touching-during-conversations thing again.

"Fair enough," he said with a sad smile, lifting his hands up as if in surrender. She began following him towards the door they had just come out of when he stopped abruptly and said, "I can't do this..." before pulling her towards him and kissing her right on the mouth.

It was electrifying, making every part of her body pulse. Never had she felt this way from a kiss before and found her legs becoming weak. Leaning into him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and allowed him her tongue. Under the stars of an early September sky, Bella felt tears come to her eyes. This moment was one that she knew she'd never forget and she prayed he never would either. Those three little words popped into her head once again. It was the perfect opportunity to say them and when he pulled away, she opened her mouth, only to have him put his finger to her lips.

"I can't be friends with you..." her heart slammed to her feet as she braced herself for the rejection, "it will never work. I want more and always will. Just friends isn't going to work, Isabella."

She smiled against his finger and then kissed it. "No, it never will and by the way, it's Bella," she smirked before turning away from him and heading back downstairs.

Edward found himself stealing glances at Bella every chance he could get. There was really no way he could even pretend to just be friends with her. It had literally felt like his legs had been kicked out from underneath him when he'd seen her standing beside Sam in that dress. If Hollywood ever came knocking for a Belle, this girl would be it. He couldn't stop grinning from the irony of it. The kiss on the roof couldn't have been stopped and neither could the high he felt after. He quit drinking after, the guys having discussed not to get trashed in case they got a call—or made an ass of themselves and in turn the department.

"Where did you two sneak off to?" Esme asked, giving him the look.

"I went to call Kaley," he answered truthfully.

"Well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted us to take her over night?" she said it as a question.

"Um...I mean...I guess it would be a good idea. That way I can stay and help clean up here. She's at home...with Tanya."

"I know," she said and he knew she wasn't happy but didn't want to fight with him about it, "call and tell her we'll be picking up our granddaughter in about twenty minutes. I'll send Carlisle in to pick her up. I love you and I'm trying to trust your judgment but that doesn't mean I want to see her."

"I know, mom. Call me if you need me for anything."

They hadn't been out the door for ten seconds before James and Annie approached them. "Edward, sweetie, how are you?" Annie, James's wife and unofficial department mother asked, giving him a hug.

"I'm doing well, actually."

"Yeah, I know things were a little rough there for a while. How is our little bug doing? Oh, I miss her. I meant to make it to the cookout and it just didn't happen."

"She's great. Happy, healthy, and hyper."

"Well, give her a kiss for me. Speaking of kisses, who's this pretty little thing?" the woman asked, turning to Bella, who was looking pretty confused.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. James, you probably saw her at the cook out but, Annie, this is Bella. She's my..."

"Girlfriend," Bella finished for him and the word made his heart soar. Bella had just given him what he wanted since they met—a chance to prove he could love her, despite the obstacles.

"Bella," he said, all smiles, "this is James's wife, Annie. She's like a second mom."

"It's nice meeting you."

"The pleasure is all mine, sweetheart. You have a good man here and don't you forget it. What he's done to better his little girl's life astounds me to this day...and always will. I can tell already that you're a sweetie and all I have to say is it's about time he finds himself a sweet, lovely girl to take care of him while he's busy taking care of everyone else."

Edward was aware that he was blushing ferociously and he was uncertain if the cause was the woman gushing about him or Bella wrapping her arms around his waist. "Well, thank you, Annie."

"You're welcome! Now, why don't you two crazy kids head home? People are starting to clear out and I think we should just wait until tomorrow to clean up. This chemo's hittin' me hard, Edward, dear. All I want is to sleep."

"Are you sure? We can handle the clean up tonight if you'd like..."

"I won't hear of it. Take this lovely girl home and spend some time with the lovely little girl you have waiting for you. Bring her by tomorrow. I'd love to see her!"

"Alright. Will do. Goodnight."

Making their way outside, Bella cursed under her breath and Edward immediately asked what was wrong. "Alice! She's going home with Jazz and I'm supposed to be bringing her car home. Let me call her real quick." After she spoke with Alice on the phone, she rolled her eyes and ended the call. Opening up her ivory clutch, she pulled out a keyring and laughed.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight then," Edward said, not wanting the night to be over.

"Yeah...I guess..."

"Can I call you? Like, tomorrow?"

"Ugh, yeah. I think so..."

He felt like a teenager all over again, standing at the end of a date and wondering if he should kiss her. In all her awesomeness, she grabbed his neck and pulled him down to her. She nibbled on his lower lip before giggling and turning towards the car, he opened it for her to get in and she rewarded him with a chaste, actual kiss.

He was home alone and figured he'd use that time to catch up on sleep. He loved his daughter but that was the one thing he wished could be different. Rest was literally his best friend. About to change out of his tux, he heard the doorbell ring and headed down to see who was there. It was about five minutes after midnight and he was a little irritated that someone would come by this late. His first thought was maybe Emmett wanted to have a little after party celebration—he knew he was going to get shit from the guys tomorrow about not even saying goodbye. There were still too many people there and he'd just wanted to get home.

Pulling the door open, about to protest the impromptu party, he almost fell over in happiness. His real-life beauty was standing at his door, still in her short dress and without a jacket. "What's wrong?" was his first question, assuming something bad happened.

"It's tomorrow. I didn't feel that calling would satisfy me as much as visiting..." the way she said satisfy was enough to make him want to cry. This woman was seriously the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He wanted her, needed her, and planned to have her. She'd come on her own volition and he didn't know what else to do but what he was about to.

Edward led her into the house, pulling her gently by the hand. When they reached the inside of the entryway, he pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply on the mouth. She had been carrying the sexy, black heels and he took them from her, tossing them to the side as the kiss deepened even more. He felt her lips on his and her breath as she moaned his name against his mouth. Immediately, he became hard, wanting to take her right there in front of the door. She muttered something that sounded like 'I want you' but he couldn't quite hear her. When her fingers began playing with his hair, she let him pick her up and he headed upstairs.

Bella was tiny and it didn't take much for him to carry her to his bed and lay her down for a chance to really take her in. The dress was short. Not short like what Tanya used to wear but short enough to make him wonder what was at the other end of those sexy, ivory legs. Not caring that he was still in his tux, Edward did what he'd been thinking about doing all night. Taking his index finger, he began to run it up towards her inner thighs. She moaned and he loved that she was loving it.

"You're so beautiful, Bells..."

She was lost to him and he realized he'd have to take control. This wasn't something he was used to during sex, Tanya had always been the one to say exactly what she wanted when she wanted it. He had wanted to please her and had listened. Before Tanya, there was one girl in high school that he'd lost his virginity to and a couple in college that happened pretty much because he'd had too much to drink. The girls after Tanya had met him in the middle as they took what they wanted from each other. He had no intentions on seeing them after that night and didn't feel it was necessary to really learn what made them happy. It sounded harsh but he got what he wanted and politely told them goodbye. Bella was different, though. He wanted to make her happy and right now, spread out on his bed, he knew she was incapable of forming sentences let alone giving demands like he'd become used to.

There was a satin piece between her skin and the white netting material and he decided to tease her, running his hands up and over it instead of underneath against her skin. Still, when he reached the apex of her beautiful thighs, she gasped. He hadn't expected that and put a little pressure against her mound. She wriggled under him, making a little noise that nearly made him come in his tux.

Pulling his hand away, he went to undress when she sat up in bed and looked at him through those brown eyes that held longing in them. He knew instantly what she wanted and knelt at the side of the bed. She pushed his jacket off of his shoulders first, then he watched as her fingers reached for the buttons on his vest. By the time she had gotten to the white button up shirt underneath, she was visibly shaking but he didn't stop her—knowing it wasn't because she was cold.

She got the buttons undone and slid that off of his arms as well. When he was finally shirtless, he felt goosebumps form on his own skin as she ran her hands up and down his arms. Unable to take anymore, he stood up and pushed her back on the bed. He kissed her mouth fiercely before making his way to her neck and breasts. She arched her back, letting him unzip her dress and he was surprised by the sexy little corset she had on underneath. Bella spoke for the first time as his fingers reached for the back of it, "It's kind of a pain to get off..."

With a few movements of his fingers, and a short tug, it was on the floor joining his shirt. He couldn't help but to give her a smirk as his mouth went down to her breasts. She moaned again, pulling at his hair, and he was amazed by how responsive to him she was. He kissed down then, leaving her nipples taut, and ended up above her lacy white panties. Swearing under his breath at how much she was driving him crazy, he could see before even touching her that the white fabric was wet. The smell of her arousal brought his nose down to her wetness and the second he made contact, she arched her back again.

Needing to taste her, Edward pulled them off quickly and went in for the kill. He pressed his tongue to her clit and was fully aware of her squirming underneath his mouth. He held the inside of her thighs firmly enough not to hurt her but enough to keep her still. After a few more seconds, he realized he wasn't going to last much longer from just tasting her and brought a hand off her thigh, letting his finger make contact with her folds. She moaned huskily and he pushed in a little farther. At the same time that she jerked back from him slightly, he was met by a bit of resistance. Realization struck him hard.

"Bella?" he asked in a voice he barely recognized as his own. "Are you...have you done this before?"

She slid away from him then, her face turning a beautiful pink and the flush went the whole way down to her neck. "No."

It all made sense. Her sensitivity to his touch and her nervousness had nothing to do with him as much as the fact that she was experiencing this all for the first time. He felt like a bastard, like he was moving way too fast with her. He reminded himself that she was twenty two, not too young, and he had to fight to control his thoughts so he could make sure she was okay with everything. "Are you sure that you want this?"

He found that simple question to be one of the hardest he'd ever had to ask someone. "Yes." The answer had been simple, direct, but dripping with lust. The man in him took over, unbuckling his pants, he slid them off and she sat up again, reaching for his boxer briefs. Once they were off, he told her he'd be right back and walked into the bathroom. Grabbing a condom from the drawer and a small towel, he went back to her. Swearing to himself that he would take it as easy as possible, he set the items at the end of the bed and pulled her towards him, needing to have his mouth on hers yet again.

Bella watched in wonder as Edward made his way back to the bed. He was even more amazing to look at without this clothes as he was with them. She felt wetness coating her thighs and knew that this was it. She was going to lose her virginity to this man and couldn't wait. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated, he was big and she knew from Alice that it was going to hurt. When he started kissing her again, all of her fears faded away and she let him have his fun, running his fingers over her legs, across her breasts, and eventually reaching up to pull her hair from the confines of the elegant knot the hair dresser had created.

He kissed her for a good long while before reaching behind him and grabbing the towel. Bella felt her heart race and tried to calm herself. He slid the towel underneath them after distracting her with a kiss and slid the condom on easily. He rubbed her nub with the nice piece of manliness he had to work with before positioning himself against her. She held her breath, waiting for the pain to come, when he whispered, "Don't tense up. Relax. I'm going to do this fast. If you want me to stop I need to know now."

She meant to say that she trusted him but hearing his voice as husky as it was, she blurted out something she had never said to anyone other than her parents and Alice. "I love you."

He must have taken that as permission to proceed because in an instant he had pushed into her and she felt pain wash through her. "The pain won't last long, Bells, just hold onto me."

She dug her nails into his back and arched up into him. He was going slow now and she knew it was becoming difficult for him. Feeling him connected to her this way, touching her, kissing her, made her start trying to meet his pace. He sped up slightly and she moaned in pleasure. Soon, she found that she was able to let her hands run free, playing with his hair, touching his back, and the best part was rubbing his muscular arms. She knew she was going to lose it soon and arched up. She could feel him pulsing inside her against her now very sensitive flesh.

He pulled out, kissing her again, and went into the bathroom. Seconds later he came back condom-free and with a warm wash cloth in hand. She immediately became mortified by the blood that was on his white towel but he just pulled her legs gently apart again and wiped the spots of blood from the inside of her thighs. When he was satisfied, he dropped the cloth onto the towel beneath her, balled it up, and set it on the floor beside the bed.

She was still on her back and he laid down beside her, pulling her close and wrapping his left hand in her hair. "I love you, too, Isabella."

**Told you to have faith! Thank you for all your support you've all been giving! I hope this was a worthy reward and the next update should resume as normal tomorrow! I've never done this before so let me know what you think! Lots of Love, LP xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 12**

Edward groaned. As soon as he had drifted off to sleep, he heard the alarm. Bella was wrapped in his arms, warm and safe...and blessedly naked. Duty called, though, and he forced himself upright. She was sound asleep and he didn't want to wake her so he left a note saying that he had to go on a call and that he loved her before throwing some clothes on. Emmett picked him up as he normally would and Edward saw that it was only about one am. He'd hardly slept at all. "What are we looking at tonight, man?"

"Fire."

"Shit," Edward cursed and Emmett agreed with him. Both men, well really the whole department hated fires. Car accidents were usually done and over, it didn't turn into two hours of trying to stop another catastrophe from happening. James always called Emmett to tell him what they were dealing with. Now, due to Emmett's speed, Edward knew it was going to be a rough night.

When they got to the station, Tyler and James were already there and Jasper was running down the sidewalk towards them. As they suited up, Emmett couldn't resist poking fun at Jasper. "Hard to wrench yourself away from your new lady?"

"Yeah, actually, it was. You know, if Rose wasn't bored with you, you'd have the same problem..."

Edward laughed, knowing full well that Emmett wanted to punch their blonde counterpart. "Alright, you guys, let's go."

The house was an older home and Edward's immediate thought was electrical problems. He reminded himself to check over Bella's wiring in her house the next chance he got while walking towards the back of the truck to pull the hose. "Is anyone in there?" he yelled to James, who was running over to talk to the police who had just pulled in. Two middle aged people in robes were coming towards him frantically and he knew the answer.

"Yeah. She's around the back of the house, second floor!"

Leaving the hose, he took off and as he rounded the corner of the house, watched his two best friends head inside. He followed and called to Jasper to go with him as Emmett made his way into the kitchen where the fire had started, carrying a hose. The girl was was trying desperately to get the door open and he heard her banging from the other side. It was not budging due to the collapsed wall it was connected to. "Stand back!" Edward yelled, giving the girl less than a second before throwing his full body into it. She ran to him from the corner she'd backed herself into and he led her downstairs.

Making sure the teenager was safely with her parents, he went back in to help when Emmett yelled for him to go back out. Emmett and Jasper followed as the heat slammed into their backs—a propane tank connected to the kitchen stove had just blown. There was a tree right beside the house that was being licked by flames and Edward kept watch, knowing if it went up, so would the dry leaves and eventually the woods surrounding the house. While Emmett was turning the hose towards the back of the house, Edward felt his phone go off under all the layers he had on. Cursing himself for not keeping it in Emmett's truck, he let it go. It eventually stopped only to start again immediately after.

James was now directing them to shoot the water towards the tree to at least wet the damn thing down after the dry weeks they had been having—something ridiculously uncommon in Forks. Another company showed up shortly after and Edward hated this part of his job. While the other team got ready and started spraying the house down as well, Edward had nothing to do but stand beside Tyler and twiddle his thumbs. When his phone went off the fourth time, he struggled with his clothes until his phone was in hand. There was one missed call from his mom and one for his dad. Immediately, his mind started racing.

Calling his dad, who he knew would be much more calm if there was an emergency, he asked what was wrong, not bothering with hello. "Edward, Kaley is sick and you should come as soon as you can. Are you still at the station?"

"Sick how?" Edward demanded and Tyler looked over at him as he ignored his dad's question.

"I think she has a urinary tract infection. It's nothing life threatening but she's really uncomfortable and she keeps asking for you. Your mom wouldn't have called so many times if it weren't for the fact that Kaley keeps asking for you. We were going to try your house next. I told her to call there but it was easier to grab her cell and she keeps telling me something about minutes...I don't know..."

"Dad, I can't talk right now and I don't know if I can leave either...I'll talk to James. I'm on a call and not home anyway."

"Oh. I didn't know. Just come when you're finished. I have her on an antibiotic and her fever is down. We'll see you after awhile."

Edward felt terrible. Guilt racked him as he wondered if Tanya had something to do with this and the fact that he couldn't just leave the guys here. He was just about to tell James he had to go, though he didn't know how he was getting there when he thought of Bella. If anyone could make Kaley happy in this situation, it would be her. After the night they had together, he prayed she planned to stick around but if not, Kaley was already missing her. Tonight he could at least give her someone who could fill the shoes of the mother she never had.

Bella woke up to the sound of a phone ringing and bolted awake. She was naked...and cold...and alone. With a frown she grabbed one of Edward's shirts and took off into the kitchen to grab the evil ringing device. Half asleep, she answered groggily and was surprised by who was on the other end. "Bella, I need you to go to my mom and dad's..."

"Where are you?" she interrupted, looking up at the clock in confusion. It was two o'clock in the morning.

"On a call. I didn't want to wake you. Look, I know this is something that we haven't really discussed but Kaley needs me and I can't go right now. Please, go to my parent's and see if you can get her to calm down. She's sick and I honestly don't care what you have to say to her to make her feel loved. Please."

Bella's heart clenched and she headed back, phone in hand, to get dressed. "Of course. Yeah. Edward, what's wrong with her?"

"Dad thinks she has a urinary tract infection."

"Ouch," muttered Bella, "I'll go right now. What do I do about the whole mommy issue?"

"If she wants to say you're her mommy let her. Just let her know that I'll be there soon. We'll deal with everything else later. There's a GPS in my car. My parent's house is saved under the favorites category. It works. I was messing with it to see if it was accurate, considering my parents live down a dirt road. I'll tell my mom you're on your way."

Bella could hear the guilt in his voice, and someone in the background yelling for him. "Edward, I love you. Please, God, be careful. Kaley will be fine, I promise."

"I love you too. You have no idea how much I wanted to wake up with you. I'll see you both as soon as I can."

After he hung up, Bella realized that all she had to wear was her dress. Rolling her eyes, she threw it on, not wanting to show up at his parents in his clothes. Her need to get to Kaley grew by the minute and there was no way she was going home to change first. Running to his car—which was unlocked—she grabbed the GPS and ran for hers. There was a spare key that she kept in a magnetized box under her car and she was thankful that Jake had thought to get it for her for Christmas a couple years ago. She followed the GPS directions until she thought for sure Edward had lost his mind. There were just trees. That was it. No houses, no mailboxes, no lights...and the thing he called a dirt _road_ was more like a dirt_ trail_.

Starting to become frustrated, her need to see Kaley growing, she saw lights through the trees and kept going. Finally, a clearing appeared with a large house in the middle of it. Parking the car right at the front steps, not knowing where else to park it, she ran to the front door and knocked loudly. Carlisle opened the door and ushered her in. "They're upstairs. Esme is trying to get her to sleep."

Bella could hear Kaley crying from the staircase and full out sprinted towards the room the noise was coming from. Kaley was in Esme's arms being rocked in a glider. Esme looked tired and stressed, which Bella was surprised by. "Kal, look who came to visit you..." Esme coaxed, trying to get Kaley to stop crying and look up.

Finally, Bella approached them and knelt beside them, starting to rub her back. Immediately, Kaley lifted her head and gave a small smile. "Mommy!" she said, and Bella knew it would have been a yell had it not been for her being so tired.

"I'm here, little bug," Bella cooed and was flooded with warmth when the little girl reached for her. She hugged her and Esme stood up, mouthing a 'hi'. Bella sat down in the glider, smoothing the little girl's hair down and wiping her tears with a blanket. "You're okay. Shhh..."

"Daddy..." she heard Kaley whisper, as if she'd given up on that wish but still wanted to keep trying.

"He'll be here soon, baby. I talked to him. He'll be here soon..."

"Mommy here," Kaley mumbled through her tears.

"Yeah, Kaley, mommy's here." She rocked her slowly, still running her fingers through the little girl's hair. To her surprise, Kaley had quit crying and was now nodding off. Afraid to move, Bella realized that Kaley still had a death grip on her anyway, and tilted her head back in hope of drifting off herself. There was no way she could walk away from these two and prayed that Edward would never want that. Things had moved so fast yet it felt natural. She knew this was where she needed to be, here with this amazing little girl who needed her.

She was thinking about Edward when Carlisle and Esme poked their head in to look at them. A creak of a floorboard caught her attention and she saw them smiling back. Carlisle set down a juice cup beside her and nodded before heading off and Esme came in, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor in front of Bella. "Mommy, huh?"

"Yeah...about that..."

"Edward already filled me in, Bella," Esme said, waving her off, "I think it's wonderful but it's a lot of responsibility."

Bella immediately began to wonder if Edward had said something to his mom about their relationship being a definite long term thing. She was sure that was what she wanted but a little upset that he would just assume it. "Edward and I aren't getting married or anything like that..."

"I know. I didn't mean it that way. It's just when a child is involved, when someone comes into the picture who loves them, it's really hard for them to say goodbye. They're innocent. They don't understand why 'mommy left with another guy' or why 'daddy is afraid to date the neighbor because he's afraid of rejection'. She isn't going to understand why things didn't work out between you two. She can't at this point in her life."

"I love them both," Bella said meekly, as if trying to justify herself and not knowing how.

"That's good enough for me. If you and Edward don't have love for each other, you have nothing," Esme said with a yawn and a small smile. Bella found it hard not to love Esme Cullen. _What is it about the Cullen's that does this to me?_

"That's not true," Bella whispered, "we will still have Kaley."

Standing up, Esme walked over and kiss her on the cheek, careful not to bump and wake up her granddaughter. "Goodnight, love. I didn't get to tell you but I love the dress. If you ever get a chance to put her down, Edward's room is two doors down on the left, I'm sure you'll find something more comfortable in there. Tell him I love him when he gets home. I'm next door if you need anything. Don't hesitate to wake me."

Bella was still in the glider with Kaley when Edward came in. He was covered in ash and sweat; Bella had never been happier to see anyone in her entire life. "Edward..." she said, feeling like she could finally breathe. He had walked right through the door and was looking his daughter over. "She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago."

"Can I have her?" Edward asked, kneeling in front of them and rubbing Kaley's arm.

"Absolutely..." Bella said, prying the little girl from her body and handing her over. Of course, Kaley stirred and reached for Bella in her half-asleep state.

"Shh, daddy has you. You're okay, baby," at the sound of Edward's voice, Kaley's eyes opened wider and she smiled.

Bella watched as Edward seemed to relax but Kaley started to become fussy again. Bella also noticed she was wriggling in Edward's lap. Edward let her go, thinking she didn't want held but immediately she began to cry and reach for him to pick her back up. "Kaley, honey, what's wrong?"

"Hurts!"

"Alright, hey, relax."

"Edward," Bella said, knowing he was scared, "get her to drink this. It's cranberry juice."

He took it and tried to get her to drink. She was standing but still holding onto him. She had started to hop around and Bella felt for her. Bella had gotten UTI's before when she was younger and knew how uncomfortable the little girl must be. Edward looked like he was about to cry and he was making things worse with Kaley. "Kaley, honey, look here," Bella said, getting eye level with the toddler. "Honey, I know it hurts but you have to try to go. You have a diaper on. It's okay."

"I'm going to get my dad," Edward said, standing up and Bella let him go in hopes that Carlisle could calm his son down while she took care of Kaley, knowing the doctor had already done what he could for his little granddaughter.

Edward was pulling his hair in every direction as he knocked on the door of his parents room. He was terrified and knew his dad could handle whatever was happening. His mom opened the door and hugged him. "I'm glad you're safe..."

"Where's dad?" he asked, not even letting her finish.

"Right here," Carlisle said, pushing the door open further—it was clear they hadn't gotten to bed yet.

"I don't know what to do. I don't. This is worse than that time she wouldn't go to the bathroom when we first brought her home from the hospital. She's in pain and there's nothing I can do.." Edward realized he sounded like a lunatic having a nervous breakdown...and he also realized that he kind of was.

"Edward, she's going to be fine. We've got her drinking cranberry juice, taking tylenol..."

"This is because of Tanya, isn't it? She did something."

"No. I don't think she had anything to do with this. I don't like the woman anymore than anyone else but I can't, in my professional opinion, think it could be this bad after just a few hours. You hadn't left her that long..."

"So it's me? I did this to her...is it because of the diaper thing because I'm trying, dad. I'm trying."

"Honey," Esme said, taking his arm, "you are exhausted. You need rest. Why don't you go lie down and let us..."

"No. I'm not leaving her."

"Just go lay down. You'll be a couple rooms away..."

"No."

"Fine," Carlisle sighed, cutting in, "she's obviously awake. Why don't you try to give her a bath? A warm bath might help her go. Just try to keep her warm."

"Alright. A bath. I can do that."

He went back in then and saw Kaley actually giggling through her sobs as she sat on Bella's lap and listened to the story that was being read to her. While Bella read, he sat down on the floor again with his head in his hands. After awhile he heard Bella, "Why don't you go give daddy kisses. I think he needs some kisses."

Kaley stood up and walked over to him, pulling at his hands to move them from his face. When she was granted access to his cheek, she kissed him and giggled. Edward smiled at her through tears and kissed her back. "Would you like a warm bath, little bug?"

Bella didn't follow them and he figured he wouldn't push her. Seeing the two of them together made him feel that he was finally doing the right thing for Kaley—which sure as hell hadn't been what he was doing when he invited Tanya back into her life. Now, he sat on the floor beside his parents bath tub, watching his little daughter play in the warm water at three am. She seemed a lot more comfortable but he figured it probably wouldn't last that long. While Tanya may not have been the reason for the infection, he was. He felt sick, trying to remember the last time he'd tried the potty training thing—his father kept trying to tell him that she was a little young yet and it wasn't a big deal but one of the other two year olds at the daycare already went on the 'big potty' as Kaley put it.

He felt arms wrap around his shoulders and someone kiss him between his shoulder blades, his shirt had long been forgotten when Kaley had started to splash. "Quit beating yourself up, daddy. I got them when I was little too."

Just knowing she was that close to him made him feel better. Turning towards her, he frowned, "Really?"

"Yup. She'll probably be fine by tomorrow evening. Your dad has her on a pretty strong antibiotic...I saw it on her dresser."

Edward just now noticed that she was wearing one of his old hockey shirts and it was hanging off one of her shoulders. He checked to see that Kaley was still happily playing the water before asking, "How are you feeling? I felt bad for leaving like I did...like I said...I wanted to stay with you."

"I understand and I'm just a little sore. No big deal. I see Kaley's feeling better," Bella laughed after Kaley took a whole cup of water and tossed it at her father.

"This is why I'm shirtless," Edward said with a smile and splashed back gently with his hand.

"She loves you so much..."

"She loves you, too," Edward said before running his hands through his hair again. "I messed up. I thought that maybe if I could give her someone, like Tanya for example, that could maybe act as a mother figure, she'd be happier. I was wrong. Bella, this has nothing to do with her wanting a woman to take care of her, it's just you. You are who she wants and I'm scared because I never imagined she would get as attached to you as she has...and so quickly..."

"I'm pretty attached to her, too. Ask Alice. I may have gotten a little...protective...of her when I found out Tanya was with her. I think that maybe she should get to know her but I want Kaley to know me, too. Walking away from her...from both of you...was really, really hard. I thought about her constantly...the whole time I was back in Seattle. I was serious earlier when I said I loved you. I love you both and honestly, I don't know which of you I fell in love with first..."

Edward kissed her then, knowing full well Kaley was beside them. He couldn't resist as Bella sat there in his clothes beside him on the bathroom floor. It wasn't the most romantic of places. Most of the time, new couples would steal kisses in movie theaters and bars, but here they were at three am bathing a sick child. He didn't stop the kiss until Kaley dumped water on both of them and clapped her hands. Bella sat back away from him, laughing loudly and wringing out the wet shirt. Edward was trying not to stare—it was white—and Bella didn't have a bra on.

She must have noticed because she quit laughing and crossed her arms. "All I have here is that uncomfortable corset."

Edward laughed at her explanation and shook his head, "I have absolutely no complaints..."

"Didn't think you would," Bella laughed again, rolling her eyes.

"So, what are we going to do about me and Kaley and the mommy problem?"

"It is a problem?" Edward asked, honestly wanting to know her answer. He had been wondering that since Kaley had started referring to her that way.

"Not for me. I know it's too soon to tell what's going to happen but I realized tonight that I'd probably fight to the death for her so I say why not," Bella spoke quietly, looking at Kaley with nothing but adoration.

"Alright, then. Mommy, let's get you in some dry clothes before I end up with two sick girls on my hands."

**I'm insanely amazed by all of the reviews and alerts I've been getting. I have never experienced this much support and it just keeps me going with this story. I know most of you are used to me responding to all of the reviews but I can only do so many at a time because of work so I'm sorry if one or two chapters I don't get to say hi. I DID read your review and this story IS for my readers and reviewers. You guys rock. I wish there was more time in the day. Besides, you probably would rather have a chapter than a hello ;) It's a little early but I don't get a lunch break today so I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. :) TONS of love, LP xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 13**

Bella woke up alone the next morning but at least she wasn't naked. Looking around the room, she smiled. It was without a doubt a high school guy's bedroom...complete with a swimsuit calendar from a good many years ago that was left up. Slipping on her corset, she slid the tshirt back on—which had somehow made its way off of her the night before, and made her way to find Edward. She stopped in front of the nursery room and couldn't help but have her heart melt. Kaley, who just barely still fit in the small crib was snoring softly while her father was lying under the crib, snoring loudly.

"Come downstairs, Esme just made breakfast and I highly doubt he'll be up anytime soon," Carlisle said quietly behind her.

She spun around, not expecting him to be standing there, and gave another smile before heading downstairs after him. "Bella! I made pancakes and there are eggs right here..." Esme was beaming, obviously in her element.

"Mrs. Cullen, this is amazing..."

"Please, dear, call me Esme."

Bella just smiled and took a bite of toast, "I'm not very hungry, I'm sorry...I guess I'm just worried about Kaley. Edward's so upset, he's beating himself up..."

"Who's getting beat up?" Edward asked, coming up behind her and kissing her cheek.

"Do you ever sleep?" she asked playfully.

"I'm the single father of a two year old. Does that answer your question?"

She smirked back at him as he took a bite of the toast in her hand. "Let her eat, Edward, she's skinny enough..."

"Mom, don't force feed her like you do Rosalie..."

"Speaking of, she called. About four times. She's on her way here. When she does get here, she's going to be upset with you. I want you to remember something. I don't care how much of a mistake she thinks you made, the only mistake you could have made would have been to let Tanya give that little girl away. Just remember that. Although, getting involved with her again was a dumb move," Esme mumbled the last part, knowing full well that Edward knew what was said.

Bella glanced over at him and found he was watching her. "How is she?"

"She's going to be okay. I got her down shortly after her bath and came back to help you find dry clothes...it was...worthwhile," Edward said with another smirk.

"I bet it was," Bella said, rolling her eyes at him, and blushing at the fact his mother had more than likely heard what _he_ had said.

"Where the hell is he?" she heard Rosalie's voice coming towards them, heels clicking as if to punctuate each word.

"Rose, calm down," Emmett's voice pleaded.

"I'm seriously not even talking to you right now," Rose spat, turning the corner and letting her gaze of death settle on Edward. "You."

"Rose, look..."

"No. What you did was..."

"Well deserved and thoughtful," Bella bit out, cutting Rosalie off midsentence.

Rosalie's mouth dropped open and Bella came around the counter, arms crossed, to stand between Rose and her victim. She kept going, tired of Edward blaming himself, he didn't need this. "He has been taking care of that little girl for two years. That bitch of a wife has gotten away scotch free of responsibility. God knows, she should be shot for even considering giving up a child as amazing as Kaley and a man as amazing as her father. You can say whatever the hell you want to say to him but don't do it in front of me. He wanted one night out to have some fun, and yeah, maybe he made a bad call but I think he more than made up for it after all the time he's put in already. I know you're close to him, so how about you quit acting like you want to kill him and more like you want to congratulate him for realizing that he deserves a life just as great as what he's given Kaley."

She was aware that everyone was staring at her, including Rosalie, who was honestly speechless. She had nothing else to say and started to feel awkward. Turning back into her normal, timid self, Bella bit her lip and went to reclaim her seat on the other side of the counter. Rose cleared her throat and stood up straighter, holding her head high, before giving a devilish grin. "I like her, Edward."

"I do, too, Rose," Edward's words seemed to diffuse the tension and Emmett slouched his shoulders in relaxation, obviously grateful for there not being blood shed.

"Does this mean you're not going to kill me?" Emmett asked, stepping closer to his wife.

"You'll survive for today," she pouted and he kissed her cheek.

Eying the food spread out before them, Emmett gave a shy smile and announced, "I'm hungry."

Bella laughed as Esme rolled her eyes and handed him a plate before patting him on the head. Rosalie finally moved from her frozen position and went around the counter, giving Edward a kiss on the cheek. "Pull that shit again, I show the guys at the company the videotape of you singing to the spice girls from when we were little. _Don't_ tempt me."

"Spice girls?" Bella asked curiously.

"Don't worry, Bella, my dear, we'll have a movie night sometime soon," she responded with a wink and Edward flipped her off. Esme smacked him on the arm, telling him to behave, and they began to explain what was wrong with Kaley together. Bella sat back and watched, wondering where she fit into all of this and looking forward to finding out.

As Bella had predicted, Kaley was fine that evening and he couldn't believe how happy she was to see Bella. Kaley wouldn't leave her alone to the point that Edward begged Bella to get Peanut so that his daughter could follow something else around for a little while. While Kaley took off after the little furball, Edward pulled Bella to him and kissed her forehead. "Have I told you that I really, really wish I could have woken up with you...in my bed...at home...naked..."

"You may have mentioned it," Bella said, leaning back against him. "Once or twice last night and then once or _twenty_ times when you called from the fire hall during clean up..."

"Thank you for staying with her, by the way. I know you would have rather been out with Alice..."

"No. I wanted to stay with her. If I didn't think I was being too pretentious I'd ask to stay here over night..."

"It's not too pretentious," he whispered, kissing her neck.

"Mr. Cullen, what would people say?" Bella asked in her best southern bell voice.

"They'd say 'damn, that man's lucky' and wonder how in the hell you ended up with a poor sap such as myself."

"I don't think you were really the lucky one last night. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before...about the virginity thing...it never came up...or anywhere near it. Wow, our first kiss and our first night sleeping together..."

"First, I don't think you got the memo about virginity not being something that needs apologizing for. Second, I'm sorry if I pushed you to do something you weren't ready..."

"Stop. I wanted it. Bad."

Kaley had finally caught Peanut, who was panting and laying on his back. Bella burst out laughing and Edward looked at her like she was nuts. "Is it dead?" he asked, standing up to go look at the little dog.

"No," Bella said when she finally caught her breath, "he's playing dead."

Edward couldn't hold back his laughter when Kaley knelt down and rolled onto her own back, arms and legs up in the air. "Well, Bella, looks like we can go in and have ice cream since these two are too tired..."

Kaley immediately hopped up and bounced on her tiptoes. She followed them into the house and he took out the ice cream while Bella grabbed bowls. Once they were eating, Kaley gulped down a big spoonful of chocolate syrup and asked, "Bella sleep over?'

"Oh...um...I don't think that's such a good idea," Edward finally said after a few awkward glances at Bella, whose face was red.

"Kaley, I'll be over tomorrow morning. I promise."

When their ice cream was finished and the dishwasher was loaded, she kissed them both goodbye and Edward walked her home. It wasn't late, and Alice was waiting up anxiously for her. "Well, hello, Miss One Night Stand. Wherever did my sweet, innocent Bella end up?"

"Oh, hush. Like you didn't get some last night..."

"Wait, really? You slept with him?"

Bella laughed at her friend's shocked expression. "Yes. I did."

"Like, slept with. As in, you had sex? For the first time? With a married man who has a child...are you insane?" Alice asked, now looking like she wanted haul Bella off to the looney bin.

"Maybe a little but I don't care. I'm tired of doing what everyone thinks is right. It's my turn to start making my own decisions, Alice."

"Don't do this. Don't get attached to them..."

"I need you to be on my side with this one, Al."

"So that's it? You're seeing him? Like boyfriend and girlfriend seeing him?"

"Yes."

Rubbing her hands over her face, Alice groaned, "Alright. Alright. I'm behind ya, Bells. I just really hope Edward Cullen is worth it. Remember two words, my dear friend. Charlie and Jacob."

The next few weeks passed quickly, consisting of school, taking care of Kaley, and trying to find time to spend with Alice. It was two weeks later on a Monday morning and Rosalie greeted her at the door, but this time, she didn't leave right away. "Kaley explained to me that you're her new mommy. Don't mess this up, Bella. She needs you now just as much as she needs her father. Come on, I want to show you something."

Bella followed her upstairs to where there were pictures spread all over the kitchen table. "Rose..."

"They start when Edward was a baby and continue all the way up until his birthday...two months before he met you."

"What..."

"I know him. Inside and out. I know his favorite songs, his favorite color, his favorite tv show...I know his worse nightmares. I know who he trusts. I know who he wouldn't let within a mile of Kaley. I was there a week after he was born up until now. I was there on our first day of preschool, middle school, and we suffered through high school together. I watched him fight Esme about his engagement to Tanya and I watched as he fell apart when she broke his heart. I was there the day Kaley was born, when he brought her home, and when he went through witnessing his first death from a fire. He has a past and it's not an easy one full of sunshine and rainbows. I know him well. You have a lot of catching up to do because I know one other thing. He loves you more than he ever loved Tanya and that scares me more than anything else...and him too."

Bella couldn't speak, she just stood there, looking down at the little girl who relied on the man they were discussing for everything. Edward was everything to this little girl. Her provider, her protector, and up until Bella showed up—both of her parents. While Rosalie and Edward could talk through their teeth that things were totally platonic between them, Bella saw a fire that burned in Rosalie for Edward. "Why did you marry Emmett and not him?" Bella asked outright.

Rosalie seemed shocked by her blunt question and thought for a moment before answering. "When you've been around someone as long as Edward and I have been around each other, it really does become about family. He's my family. We're both only children and we were raised basically to be brother and sister. Blood means nothing as far as love is concerned...something I'm sure you've already figured out. I don't care if you're not Kaley's biological mother because I know it's about love not biology. So, look over these pictures, learn about his life. If you have any questions, call me."

"Thank you. Really."

"What can I say? You're the only girl he's brought around that has ever stood up to me. Besides, you're a firefighter's wife whether you're married or not. Welcome to our club."

Hours later, with breaks only to make Kaley soup for lunch and to play with her when she wasn't watching a movie, Bella was sitting at the kitchen table in awe. She went through pictures of Esme with Edward as an infant and pictures of Esme helping Edward blow out his candle on his first birthday. Even Edward getting on the school bus the first day of preschool with Esme by his side. As he got older, paper quality got better and Carlisle appeared more often. Carlisle was even there smiling at Edward's kindergarten graduation all the way up to Edward posing at his college undergrad graduation.

When pictures of Kaley surfaced, so did Bella's tears. There must have been a hundred of Kaley. Rose had kept things very neatly organized Bella realized as she went through picture book after picture book. It started with a group of people sitting in a waiting room—obviously waiting for Kaley to be born. Then there was Edward holding the results of what she assumed was a paternity test, she had never seen him smiling so widely. Pictures followed of Esme and Edward loading Kaley into the car, of Edward looking down at his daughter while he sat in the glider in her room, of Kaley walking back and forth between Rosalie and Edward. It was too much for her, realizing that Rose really was right this time, she'd missed so much of both of their lives.

When she closed the last album, a recent one that had pictures of Edward in fireman's attire and a group picture with the guys as they stood around the fire engines, she noticed a piece of paper lying by itself. It was on top of another album she didn't realize was there and Bella picked it up to get a better look. Immediately, her hand flew to her mouth and she stood up, as if needing to get the adrenaline that she was feeling out of her system. Thankful that Kaley was napping, Bella grabbed a glass of water and sat down before picking the paper back up. It was Edward's birth certificate, only something was missing...Carlisle. He wasn't named as the father.

When she looked down at what the paper was sitting on, she saw an old, brown book. Curiously flipping it open, the first picture she came to was one of Carlisle with a young—possibly four year old—Edward on his shoulders. On the inside front cover was another paper, the envelope it was in had a yellow tint from aging and Bella couldn't resist. She opened it and breathed in a deep breath, so not expecting what she had found. Edward was adopted. By Carlisle. Carlisle wasn't really Edward's father. Bella stared at the paper in shock, the way the two acted with each other, she never would have known. Flipping through the book she smiled at all of the pictures of them and when she finished, she just sat and stared at the messy table.

Hands on her shoulders made her jump and desperately try to wipe away the evidence of her tears. "What's all this?" Edward asked, looking over her shoulders.

"Oh...um..."

"Where did you find these?" Edward asked, and Bella was worried that he was angry with her.

"Rosalie had them sitting out for me to look through. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you..."

"You looked through all of these? In one day?"

"Yeah...I couldn't stop," trying to break the strange tension between them she added, "I could think of worse things than looking at you all day."

Edward gave a small smile and sat down to look at the albums all over the table. He picked them up, one by one, and smiled or laughed. Bella loved seeing him so happy and almost wished that she had a camera to take a picture of him now. He went through all of them before frowning. "I wonder what she did with it..."

"With what?"

"My wedding album. It's not here," he stood up and headed down towards the playroom. She followed and watched him pull out a large tote and shake his head.

While it bothered Bella that he was so upset about not having the album from the day he married Tanya, she didn't know what to say or do. Finally, she asked, "Does it really matter?"

"I guess not. There are just a lot of pictures that I wanted to keep from it. You know, with family: my grandparents, parents, friends...it's gone..."

"We can ask her."

"I'll call her later. How long has Kaley been sleeping?" he asked, shoving the tote back into a corner and pulling her towards him.

"About an hour...hour an a half. It was way too rainy to take her outside so we watched movies and made forts and looked at pictures."

Finally unable to keep quiet, Bella blurted out, "You were adopted. By Carlisle."

Edward stared at her for a good many seconds before nodding his head. "How did you..."

"That brown album upstairs, it has your papers in it. I had no idea. The way you two act, you'd never know..."

"We're not acting, Bella. He's my father. He raised me."

There was an edge to his voice and Bella just gave him a small smile. "Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was such a touchy subject. I just meant that it's great that you two are so close..."

"I'm sorry, too. It was just a very long day and I'm tired. Do you want to stay for supper? I was going to make chili."

"I'd love to but I can't. Ally and I are going shopping tonight."

Edward kissed her on the cheek before taking out his wallet and handing her a hundred dollar bill. "What's this for?" she asked, not wanting to take it.

"Bella, you stay home with her all day. You don't work. Go buy yourself something nice."

Bella felt guilty for taking the money but knew he was right. Not about buying something nice but about needing money. Alice was being tactful about it but Bella knew she was going to need money for their first rent payment soon, up until this point, it was already taken care of by her parents. She hated to ask them for money and had started looking for part-time jobs to do in the evening—something she hadn't mentioned to Edward.

"Don't worry about it. I'm actually looking for a job in the evening..."

"Bella, come on. How are you going to go to school, take care of Kaley, and work? Let me do this for you. You've given my daughter the best gift anyone ever has. I'm not missing work anymore to take care of her and I've even been going in early some mornings—as much as Rose hates it—to work over time. I can support us both right now."

"I can't ask you to do that. It's not just about clothes...it's rent and food and..."

"How much is your rent?"

"I'm splitting with Ally. So, two hundred a month."

"Let me pay your half."

She didn't know how the hell he talked her into it but he managed. She headed home, carrying a hundred in her pocket and a check made out for two hundred dollars. Bella was sure Alice was going to be speechless and give her a lecture about this going to far but her best friend just shrugged. "You do spend all of your time taking care of his daughter. It makes sense, Bella. He kind of owes you."

"He doesn't owe me. I love her and love spending time with her..."

"Then are you bringing them home with you?"

"What?" Bella asked, she just recently began to consider Forks as being home.

"To Seattle? Where our family is? You know, the big Fall Festival this weekend? We talked about this, Jake's even taking off work to spend time with us."

"Oh...I forgot..."

"Well, you should call your mom and let her know you're going because I guess she's been asking Jake about it and he's been asking me since you haven't been returning his calls..."

"I've been really busy. I'll give them both a call before we leave."

"So, are you bringing Edward and Kaley with you? Kaley would love the festival and Edward should get to meet everyone...officially...like with a shirt on."

"Have you told Jake about Edward and I yet?"

"Nope," she said, popping the p, "that one's allll yours..."

Her mom answered right before her voicemail could pick up and she sounded out of breath. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing...I was just outside..."

"Okay. Well, hey, I wanted to talk to you about this weekend. There's something I need to talk to you about because I need your opinion..."

"Good!" her mother said interrupting her, "There is something I need to tell you about, too. We can talk then, I'm kind of in the middle of something..."

"Mom, wait..." but the phone went dead before she could ask about Edward and Kaley coming. Something definitely didn't seem right to her and instead of Jake, she decided to call Edward. "Miss me?" he asked by way of hello.

"Of course but I wanted to let you know about this weekend. There's this festival that they have in downtown Seattle and it's this weekend and I haven't really talked to anyone back home about us yet but I thought maybe you'd like to come," Bella rambled.

"Bells, I can't. I promised Tanya she could have her this Saturday..."

"You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't think I had to."

"Alright, whatever, Alice wants to leave but you're an asshole for saying that and this discussion is not over. The woman hasn't seen Kaley since the gala..."

"Which is why I told her it would be okay for a couple hours this weekend."

"Could you explain to her that you have plans?"

"No, her parents are coming in..."

"Kaley's meeting her parents? Edward!"

"Look, I was going to talk to you about this..."

"Forget it. I'll see you tomorrow. I have to call Jake."

"Is he going to be there this weekend?"

"Yes. He lives there, Edward."

"Alright. I'll talk to you when I get home tomorrow."

Bella ended the call, feeling her blood boil. She wanted to pound the ground and scream like a little kid throwing a tantrum. Kaley wasn't her daughter but for the almost a month now, Kaley considered Bela her mother. Now, she was going to spend an afternoon with her real mother and real grandparents instead of coming home with Bella. The worst part about all of it was that Edward hadn't told her about any of it. The idea of his frustration when he couldn't find his wedding album made Bella want to scream even louder.

**There really are no words to describe the gratitude I feel towards everyone who has read, alerted, and reviewed. Please don't be upset if I can't reply to your review every chapter, I'm trying but it's hard to find time as well as work on the story. I'm currently taking care of my own version of Kaley and her five year old brother so please be patient. I love you all and you have no idea how much all your kind words mean to me! Thank you! I am putting out so many chapters because of all these reviews! It's astounding! Please keep it up! The LetzigPrincess :) xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 14**

As furious as she was with Edward, Bella reminded herself to stay calm as she sat outside with the baby monitor, waiting for Edward to get home from work. He pulled in at his usual time and she let him give her a kiss before telling him to sit down. "How could you not tell me about Tanya seeing her? How, Edward?"

"Bella, I'm sorry. She called and asked me about taking her and I agreed but then she said it was to meet her parents and what was I supposed to say?"

"_No_. You were supposed to say _no_."

"I already said yes..."

"I thought we were supposed to be in this together. This is not together. This is _you_ making decisions without talking to me about it first. I don't trust her."

"Do you think she would trust you?"

Bella couldn't believe that he was going to turn this around on her, then she caught the one word that made her want to slap him. "Would? She doesn't know about me does she?"

"She knows you were the babysitter."

"The babysitter? The_ babysitter_? Oh, great. You know, this is just like those cheesy lifetime movies where the husband tells the wife, 'she's just the babysitter'. Then tells the babysitter, aka fuck buddy, that he's planning to leave said wife."

"What do you want me to say, Bella? You know I love you. You know Kaley loves you..."

"Yet your wife doesn't know anything about me. Kaley calls me mommy for God's sake! Don't you think Tanya is going to start asking questions?"

"I plan to talk to her about it this weekend..."

"So you'll be spending time together while I'm gone...with Kaley?"

"Yeah, I mean, just an hour or so at the most. You're reading into this way too much..."

"Edward, listen to me. I'm not trying to be some naïve kid who has seen too many chick flicks. That woman wants you. She wants you back. She's already married to you and has a direct link to you through Kaley. Tanya knows this and you're playing right into her twisted little trap."

"I'm trying to do what's best for Kaley!"

"What about what I think is best for her?" Bella yelled back.

"She's not your child, Bella!"

Bella felt like she'd just been slapped in the face—only it hurt a hell of a lot worse. Tanya knew exactly what she was doing. She was going to get Edward to stop the divorce by playing the 'I can be the real mommy I was supposed to be' card. It wasn't fair. Bella loved Kaley and would never have turned her back the way Tanya did, yet here Edward was, not even taking her into account. "No, I'm just the babysitter," she said quietly.

"No...you mean more to me than that. I'm trying here, okay? I'm fucking trying! I have been by myself to make these decisions for two years and do you really think it was easy? It wasn't but when it comes to Kaley, I'm used to making decisions based on her by myself. I don't give a fuck if Tanya wanted to offer me a free lap dance and _pay_ me a million dollars to let her do it. It's over between the two of us."

"Then where's the proof, Edward? Put yourself in my position. Sweet single dad, raising his daughter, still married, and now sharing her with his still-wife while messing around with his daughter's babysitter. What happened to the divorce?"

A small crackle and a cry came from the monitor in Bella's hand and she slammed it down on the table by way of giving it to him. "I love that little girl more than you could ever fool yourself into thinking Tanya does. I'm not leaving her like Tanya did. As for us," Bella took a deep breath before continuing, "I...I need to think about everything. I'll see you on Friday when you get home. Tell Kaley I love her when she wakes up."

"Bella, please don't go like this. Wait..."

"Edward, this...whatever _this_ is, is wrong. You're married and I don't think you know what you want. It's either me or Tanya...and...I love you. So, try to make up your mind soon because this is killing me," Bella said, quietly.

Edward watched her leave, unable to move. This was not what he had expected to have happen. He didn't want to make her feel responsible for his daughter and watching her walk away for the second time nearly killed him. Eventually having to go in and get Kaley, he started supper and headed to the small office he had set up for himself at the back of the house. He sifted through drawers, looking for copies he had made of the divorce papers, until he found the blank ones he'd made extras of. He knew to keep at least one blank copy in case an issue like this arose and he couldn't get her to sign the first set.

If Bella wanted him, he was more than willing to give himself to her. The thoughts of her going home when she was mad worried him. Jake was at home. Add in the fact that she'd be three hours away and he realized he was making himself sick over it. Kaley hadn't been sleeping for the past couple weeks. It started with the infection—which was now completely gone—and now he figured it probably had something to do with her begging for Bella while he begged her to go to sleep every night.

When Tanya had called and asked to take her, he only slightly hesitated. She only wanted her for a few hours and he needed to talk to her about things. He had barely spoken to her since the gala and didn't want to seek her out himself to tell her about Bella. In fact, he wanted Bella away from her, for as long as possible. Tanya was a conniver, he wasn't stupid, and he didn't want Bella to get hurt.

If he had learned one thing about Bella over the past few weeks, it was that once she was upset about something, it was smart to give her time to sort things out. Maybe that's all she needed. He wanted to run next door, bang the door down, and profess his love for her but thought better of it. Maybe they both needed a break from each other. He also knew that she was right when it came to his ex. He wasn't lying when he said there was nothing from Tanya that he wanted. The only reason he had only allowed Tanya back into their lives was because he didn't think Bella was going to come back to them— there was no way in hell he'd let himself force her-and Kaley missed her desperately. The look on Kaley's face when Bella left the first time had been enough to bring him to his knees.

He set to work filling out the divorce papers, knowing that they would be just one more thing they'd be discussing that weekend, as well as the new relationship he had with Bella. Guilt ate him alive ever since Bella referred to herself as just the babysitter he was messing around with. He hadn't ever thought of her that way and the idea that she'd given her virginity to him while thinking that made him sick. He went to check on Kaley and found her curled up on the couch sleeping. It was only about five o'clock and she just woke up from her other nap. He knew tonight would be another long haul and sighed.

He's just cleaned up dinner, which he ate by himself and went downstairs to throw in a load of laundry, when he heard knocking. The door was pushed open as he approached by Bella. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"No." Bella said, crossing her arms awkwardly.

"What happened?" Panic set in at how shaken she looked.

"I just...I want to see Kaley for a little while and I need to clear my head so I was wondering if you'd mind if I took her for a walk down to the park. I understand if not..."

"No, it's fine. Come on, I got some dinner into her before she fell back to sleep. I don't know if she'll want to go or not..."

Kaley was awake but she was holding her little pink blanket and looked a little out of it. When she saw Bella, her eyes widened and she smiled. "Would you like to go to the park, little bug?" Edward heard Bella ask as she picked up his daughter. The way Bella hugged her, like the little girl was saving her from doom, made him unable to stop wondering if this was going to be some sort of goodbye again. He could let her walk away thinking she'd be around for Kaley but he couldn't do it if she wasn't going to come back at all.

"Kaley, why don't you go find your shoes and pick out which jacket you want. We'll be down in a minute," Edward said, motioning for Bella to follow him as soon as Kaley was downstairs. He watched Bella cross her arms again and wanted to wrap her in his. "I'm sorry..."

"I didn't come here for you to apologize. This is about Kaley."

"Well, I am apologizing and I don't think that you not giving me the chance to is very fair. I love you and I don't know what to do to make you understand that you mean more to me than Tanya. I mean, Jesus Bella, I've never even spoken those words to anyone-and it's not because I haven't met someone better than her, it's because the thought of being with her makes me sick."

"Edward..."

"No. You want to know the truth? I went out to dinner with her when you walked away the first time. Kaley wasn't even there. It was just the two of us. I was so upset about you leaving that I was willing to try to make things work with her for Kaley's sake. I couldn't do it. I couldn't fucking do it. I couldn't even pretend. That's what it would be with us. Pretending. That is not what I have with you. I don't pretend. I don't have to. You and Kaley are the two best people in my life and I can't do this without either one of you. Here," he said, handing her papers, "I know it's not quite the proof you want but I'm going to get her to sign the damn thing this time if I have to pay a million bucks to do it.

"The only reason I even agreed to let her see Kaley was because I felt like shit when you left. Kaley was so upset. I didn't want to go after you if you really didn't want all of this responsibility. I just thought that if Tanya spent time with her, I don't know, maybe we could share rights...or I don't know. Either way, I fucked up and now her parents are all of the sudden meeting her and my entire world is spinning because you left and you were the only good thing that has happened to me since...I don't even remember how long..." he was rambling again and obviously, Bella wanted him to stop.

Stepping closer to him, she kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you. Try to calm down."

"I know I'm a mess right now but please be patient with me. I literally haven't had four straight hours of sleep in over a week. I didn't want to make you feel like you had to be responsible for Kaley to the extreme that I am and I just wanted some time alone with you. When Tanya asked me, I agreed because I was hoping to tell her about you and ask her to sign the divorce papers Saturday. I swear to you I am and if she says no, I'll take her to court."

"Let go, daddy!" Kaley called from the front door of the small office they were now standing in.

"Honey, Bella's going to take you..."

"We're coming, Kaley."

"We?"

"Please never make a decision involving Tanya without me...and don't think that you're making me do something I don't want to. If it becomes too much, I'll let you go. Now, come on before it gets dark."

It was nice out, a cool breeze came through to cool off the warm fall evening. Kaley had long ago ditched the stroller to walk between Edward and Bella. They swung her between them as they headed into the local park. The sound of her giggling was making Edward's smile a hundred times wider and Bella couldn't help but smile herself. After she and Edward's confrontation, she'd gone back home to Alice, who helped her talk through everything—and gave her a nice little lecture on communication.

After their talk, she called Jake to let him know she was coming and that she was sorry she wasn't returning his calls. He was nice enough about it but Bella knew he was upset with her. He should be, there was no reason not to call him back. After she had admitted that she would be coming up with Alice by herself, she began to really feel the need to talk to Edward and didn't know how. She didn't want to leave things like this before going back to Seattle but was afraid he'd be too angry with her to hear her out. Alice had suggested she go for a walk to try to get her mind off of things and she agreed. She set out to walk—and found herself on the front porch of the Cullen household. She figured she could see Kaley at least, maybe take her to the park.

Bella believed him, she believed what he said about talking to Tanya, but another concern came to be front and center. She couldn't believe Tanya just as much Edward swore he couldn't pretend to love her. Her first instinct was to protect Kaley and she knew that it wasn't fair to say that's not what Edward wanted, too. The feeling that Tanya really wanted nothing to do with her daughter and everything to do with Edward angered her. As she tried to come up with a way to broach the subject with Edward, she noticed there were a couple other people at the other end of the playground and she wondered what the three of them looked like to an outsider. Were they a family?

Kaley got her attention by pulling on the bottom of her sweatshirt and asking, "Swing?"

Bella laughed and followed her. There were four, two for babies and toddlers and two for bigger kids and teenagers. Bella got her started while Edward folded the stroller down and leaned it against the fence behind them. Walking over, he took her by the waist and led her over to the bigger swing beside Kaley's small one. She sat before he pulled the swing back to his chest and she felt his lips against her neck before he let her go. She was thanking herself for thinking to put her hair up in a messy bun before she left earlier.

She closed her eyes, giving into the centripetal force and smiling. Kaley's laughs as Edward teased his daughter made her begin to laugh as well. This was the happiest she'd seen them for the past couple of weeks and she couldn't help but feel they were a whole lot happier as the three person unit that they had become. Edward was going back and forth between her and his daughter until he stopped suddenly.

He was looking over at two people walking by the fenced in area on the little path, pushing a stroller. "You've got to be kidding," Bella heard him mumble. She was squinting to see what was going on but couldn't quite make out the person. She could tell they were both women—and one was blonde. Then she knew. Immediately stopping her swing, she stood up and walked over to stand behind Kaley, somehow feeling like she was doing something wrong. It took her a full minute to realize that she didn't have to pretend she was just the babysitter, that they were separated. Edward was looking at her like she was crazy and she wanted to slap herself.

"Slides!" Kaley screeched, bringing both of their attention to the little girl.

Tanya and the other girl from the salon walked over and sat down at a picnic table. Edward looked at Bella and sighed before saying, "Why don't you take Kaley to the slides. I'm going to go talk to her. I just really want this over with."

"Alright, go. I'll be here when you get back."

He kissed her then, as she held Kaley, and when he pulled away he whispered, "She means nothing to me. I'll be right back."

Edward approached Tanya and was very aware that both girls were looking back and forth between him and Bella. When he was in front of them, Tanya stood up and walked around the picnic table towards him. "The babysitter? Really? My husband is making out with our babysitter."

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about, Tanya. I don't want to be your husband and she's isn't our babysitter. You don't have any kids so there is no reason to have a babysitter working for you. Bella isn't even my babysitter, she's my girlfriend."

"Does she know that?" Tanya asked dryly.

"Don't worry about her. I'm here to ask you, one more time, to sign the divorce papers."

Tanya clearly wasn't expecting that one. She crossed her arms, face full of shock, "I...why now? Is this...girl someone you're serious about?"

"Very."

"And Kaley?"

"What about her?"

"You're parading around like a cute couple but what about Kaley?"

"She loves Bella. We aren't just a couple, Tanya, we have Kaley, too."

"So that's it? You get this nice little family. You have your beautiful daughter, you have your young girlfriend, and now you want the divorce."

"That pretty much sums it up."

"What does she have that I don't," Tanya asked quietly.

"You really want me to depress you with that information? I don't love you. As I said before, that bridge was burned a long time ago—more than once. Kaley already considers Bella her mother. Will you just please sign the damn papers?"

She was quiet for a long time before shaking her head, "Do I still get to see Kaley?"

Edward didn't know what to say. If he told her no, there was a possibility that she'd just walk away, that Bella was right and all she really wanted was him. There was also a chance that she'd refuse to sign the papers, using Kaley to keep him from the divorce. It was clear that Bella didn't want Kaley anywhere near Tanya but how much of that was jealousy? He'd be lying if he said he blamed her, not because he thought he was such a catch but because he was just as jealous of her relationship with Jake—and she didn't have a kid with him.

"Would you want to see her?" he asked cautiously, curious to hear her answer.

"I'm going to be leaving..."

"God, you are such a bitch. Bella was right...this has nothing to do with Kaley. Nothing. You're using her," he accused.

"I...like her...it's just not a love thing..."

"Please, for the love of God, just sign the papers. I didn't realize spending time with Kaley was such a burden for you."

"Fine. I'll do it but you have to let my parents see Kaley this Saturday. Then I'll sign. They want to meet her and I'll never hear the end of it."

"Fine. I'll see you then."

He walked away, feeling slightly bad for not even nodding a hello to Carmen, but the anger he felt coursing through him was enough to make him wonder if he should walk it out before even going back to Kaley and Bella. He leaned against the fence, watching as Bella held Kaley in her lap as they went down the slide together. It was no secret that they were happier when she was around, she had to be able to see that. Tanya's question of Bella knowing that she wasn't just the babysitter made him feel like shit. All he wanted was to do right by the two girls currently playing in the wood chips.

Bella was right, though, as were Rose, his mom, all the guys at the station, and if he was honest with himself—even Kaley. She was a pleasant child but he knew she didn't care for Tanya. It had been all too simple to get her to say she'd sign but he wondered if the actual deed would go as planned. He knew a few people from law school he could talk to that would help him out. He'd never felt the need to pursue the divorce. In fact, he figured Tanya would eventually end up asking him. Until Bella, he never had the motivation. Now, he couldn't help but pray he could get those papers signed before Bella gave up on him.

**Thank you for the reviews, as always. I know a lot of you aren't happy with our boy right now but give him some time. It's going to take them awhile to figure out where they both fit into each other's lives. I tried to reply back to a few people but the real Kaley has been a ball of energy these past few days and I can't find time to do it for everyone. Lots of Love, the very tired, LP xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 15**

Over the few weeks since the gala, Bella and Edward had yet to get enough privacy for anything M-rated. When he came home from work, he was usually exhausted and she would give him a nice deep kiss. It never developed into anything more than that, though by the time they pulled away from each other, Bella would have been willing to let him take her right where they were standing. He knew she wanted it but neither of them would do that with Kaley around in the early evening. So, she's graciously head back to her and Alice's to eat dinner and work on school work. Sometimes, the three of them would go the park after dinner or go for a ride but other than weekends, she felt like a typical nine to five babysitter. It was her choice, Edward wanted her around more, but she knew she had to set limits or she'd never get schoolwork done.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bella was doing her typical Wednesday afternoon moping when around lunchtime there was a knock at the front door. Figuring it was Jasper looking for Alice, she answered it, not bothering to fix her hair or throw on something a little less comfy. She definitely would not be winning any beauty pageants in her old, holey sweats and messy bun. When she opened, the door, she cursed herself for not putting in a little more effort.

"Hey, baby," Edward said, kissing her as soon as the door was open.

"What are you..."

"Just because it's Wednesday doesn't mean I can't come see you. You know, my daughter's not the only one who loves you."

"I know...I just figured you'd be at work..."

"Well, I was missing you and thinking about the night after the gala..."

"Hmm...what happened the night after the gala?" Bella asked playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I don't know...I can't really remember...maybe you could remind me..." he said, breathlessly as she licked his neck.

That had been all it took for him to grab her and head upstairs. He'd been over a couple of times, checking the wiring and doing things around the house for them, but he'd never been in her bedroom. It wasn't that she wanted to keep him out, just that they always had Kaley and neither of them felt comfortable sleeping together with her around. The night of the gala was the first and last time they'd had sex. He pushed open the first door and Bella had to laugh. "One more down, Cullen. This is Jasper's territory."

Edward shook his head and went for the next room. While he carried her, she kicked the door closed, not wanting Peanut to pester them. At first, Bella was getting anxious but the kisses he was leaving all over her chest after pulling off her top was enough to make her forget every problem she ever had. "I love you," he said, in between kissing his way down her stomach.

"I love you, too," she responded in a deep, husky voice. As soon as she could get a good grip on his shirt, she grabbed the dark blue polo and lifted it over his head. He had a white wife beater on and Bella left it, loving the feel of the warm, ribbed fabric against her skin. He came back to her lips and she grabbed his upper arms, feeling the muscles under his smooth skin. "Edward..."

As soon as the moan was out, she watched him reach down and unzip his khakis. He knelt over her then, getting up onto his knees to make it easier to pull his well-endowed counterpart out. Bella's mouth opened in a small 'o' as he sat in front of her, his long shaft only a few inches away. She had never given a blowjob but she wanted to try. Leaning forward, much to Edward's surprise, she took the head into her mouth and moved her tongue around. Edward gasped loudly, his body tensing.

"Bells...what are you...doing?" He asked in between breaths.

"I wanted to taste you," Bella said, only pulling away briefly before latching back on and taking more of him into her mouth. He tasted exquisite and Bella felt herself getting wet. The image of him kneeling above her as she sat between his legs, sucking his cock, made her almost come without any contact.

"Bella, you don't have to..." Edward's voice trailed off as she brought her hands up and reached into his still buttoned but unzipped pants to cup his most sensitive area. "Ugh...Bella...I'm not going to last much..."

She let him go and pushed him backwards then. Climbing up his still clothed legs, Bella tugged off her sweatpants and panties as she went. His head was now at the foot of the bed and she went to straddle him when he whispered for her to stop. He was panting, obviously out of breath and worked up, as he lifted his hips and reached underneath himself, pulling out his wallet. "Here," he said after grabbing a condom and handing it to her.

Bella was grateful that he thought of it since she was about to possibly end up giving him another child had it been up to her to remember. What she wasn't grateful for was her lack of experience. She ripped the foil open, knowing she couldn't screw that up but froze when she pulled out the lubricated latex circle. Edward looked up at her then, having regained his breath, and sat up on his arms. He smiled knowingly, taking it and rolling it down over himself.

When he pulled her down for a kiss, Bella lined herself up with him and gently pushed her hips down. At first, there was a little discomfort as she waited for her body to adjust and he must have seen her flinch. "You don't have to do..."

Bella was determined to take all of him, pushing further until they were as close as they could get, she kissed his neck and she felt him start to move underneath her. She moaned and he lifted her chin up to meet her lips with his. His hands slid down to her waist as he moaned back against her mouth, rolling to the side so he was on top, his lips moved to her neck and down to her breasts. She gripped the sheets riding out the building orgasm. When he picked up his pace, she gave in and he must have joined because soon after he had stopped moving and rolled off of her—right onto the floor.

Bella bust out laughing. "You okay, Cullen?"

"You're going to be the death of me, Swan," he laughed back, rubbing his now bruised elbow.

"When do you have to be back at work," she asked, biting her lips and smiling down at him.

He looked at his brown leather watch. "Five minutes ago," he replied, still trying to catch his breath.

"Well, I think you might need new pants first..." she said as she brought attention to the wet spot she'd left on his still buttoned pants.

He pulled himself up and kissed her before heading out of the room. She followed him downstairs and he kissed her before walking out the door. "I love you, Bella."

"I know. I love you, too. This weekend is going to suck. Are you sure you two can't come?"

"No. I'm sorry. Next time."

"Alright, go get some new pants and get your cute butt to work."

"Will you have dinner with us tomorrow?"

"Sure. Just let me know what time."

"Alright. I'll call you when I know for sure."

"I love you...and tell Kaley I love her..."

Bella watched him walk away as he smiled at her and headed across the yard. She knew they both loved having her around but didn't want to become a burden being around all the time—though it was very, very tempting. When she went back to her computer to finish her lesson plans for the next day, she noticed there were three messages waiting for her—all from Jake. The first was him asking what time they were coming in on Friday night, the next was him asking her if she was bring 'the guy with the kid' home, and the third was him reminding her that it was also his friend Quil's birthday on Saturday.

She responded back with: **Around 8—when I'm done watching Kaley. No, I'm not bringing 'the guy with the kid' and he has a name—Edward. I'll have to buy him something yummy...isn't this the big 2-1? **

Jake responded within a minute: **Yes it is and we're partying! We can be bed buddies again ;)**

**Jake, no we can't. I have to go. I'll talk to you on Friday when we get in.**

He didn't say anything back to her and she shook her head. She really, really didn't want to tell him about her and Edward over the phone but dreaded telling him face to face. She loved him like a brother and she knew that his feelings were much different than hers. Bella tried to respect his feelings though and she was excited to get together with him and the rest of the 'pack'-a nickname they'd called Jake's group of friends since they were kids. Forcing herself to focus on tomorrow's lessons, she got to work.

Edward had come over while she'd been at night class to cut the grass and leave a note with Ally that he'd pick her up at five the next day. She was confused, having assumed that they were just eating at Edward's but had confidence in the fact that if he wanted her to dress up in more than just jeans and a cute top, he'd tell her. So, at five fifteen, they were headed to the unknown destination with Kaley babbling in the back seat about a kitten.

Edward looked put together but not overly snazzy so Bella relaxed and smiled back every once in awhile at Kaley. From the time she'd gotten into the car, he had been holding her hand every chance he got and each time they made contact, she ached for what had happened over his lunch break the day before. He looked so good in the black and purple plaid button up shirt and jeans. She wanted to run her hands over his arm and feel the soft material..."Grammy!" Kaley yelled, breaking though her thoughts and making her and Edward both jump in surprise at the shriek that she gave.

"What, Kaley?" Bella asked, laughing.

"We go grammy house!"

"Way to ruin the surprise, little bug," Edward said, shaking his head but Bella saw he was smiling.

"We're going to your parents?" Bella asked, stressing about the fact that she had a pretty low cut top on with nothing but a pretty bra underneath.

"Yeah. I figured you'd know when we started driving the dirt road but wanted to surprise you a little bit. I thought about going to a restaurant but you will never find food better than my mom's."

"I'm glad one of our parents can cook...my mom can't make a frozen pizza without us having to call and_ order_ pizza from somewhere because she messed it up..."

"It can't be that bad."

"You don't know my mom," Bella said dryly, through a smirk.

"Mommy mommy mommy" Kaley blabbered.

"I love you, too, Kal!" Bella said, reaching back and touching the little girls leg. Kaley kicked and giggled.

"I love you, both!" Edward said playfully, his hand reaching for Bella's again.

When they were in the house, Esme came to the door to greet them. She picked Kaley up first before pulling Edward into a hug and kissing his cheek. Next, she looked at Bella with a wide smile. "Hey, honey, how are you? I can't believe Edward's kept you away this long...in fact...he's kept both of you away for far too long."

"Mom, we've been busy. We're here now."

"I know, I know. Come on in. Your father should be back from the clinic any minute now," Bella followed them into the dining room that she hadn't seen the other time she'd been there. This time, she actually had a chance to look around and realized the home was absolutely beautiful. Modern but not plain, decorated but not gaudy. "Don't worry, Bella, Edward told me you weren't much of a meat eater so I made a Moroccan vegetable stew with tortellini. The tortellini accents it."

"Esme, you didn't have to go to all that trouble..."

"It wasn't that hard. Besides, it's rare that my son comes and stays for dinner anymore—Mr. Independent, that one is. In my opinion, this is a special occasion."

Esme set Kaley into a high chair at the end of the table and handed her a plastic spoon to play with—which she automatically started chewing on. "For you, little bug, I made some grilled chicken with steamed vegetables..."

"Sorry I'm late, I had a last minute patient," Carlisle said, coming and kissing his wife and granddaughter.

"Good evening, Edward. Bella."

They said their hellos while Esme went to bring the food out. Bella tried to help but was quickly shooed away. "I'll handle this, love."

Dinner was amazing and when Esme brought out a chocolate mint silk torte for dessert, Bella could have died from pleasure. She watched Edward with his daughter, giving her small pieces of cake with not too much icing with his own fork. Esme caught her staring and smiled. "I had doubts about him raising her on his own but I should have known not to worry. He's a good dad."

Bella looked at her and smiled. "Well, I think he learned from an amazing mom..."

"Mommy!" Kaley yelled again and Carlisle laughed.

"Ah, so Bella being 'mommy' has stuck," he observed.

"Yeah," Bella said quietly, unable to contain another smile.

After dinner was finished and the dishes were loaded into the dish washer, they headed outside to sit on the patio while Kaley played. The yard was impressive and she played in a sandbox not far from the two bottom steps that lead out into the yard. Edward sat on the top one so he could watch Kaley but still be in the conversation. They talked about school, the kids she taught, Alice and Jasper, and even her parents. She told them about her flighty mother and sometimes awkward father and how she missed them. She explained the Fall Fest and how she couldn't wait to see her old friends from back home. Edward stayed quiet while she talked about it.

"Kaley, no..." she heard Edward say as a warning to his daughter.

She looked up in time to see him striding over to the toddler, trying to grab her from jumping into a mud puddle. He didn't make it in time—by the time he got there, Kaley was sitting in the mud with crocodile tears running down her face. She wasn't hurt but Bella could tell she didn't like the wetness. "I tried to warn you..." Edward said, "come on, let's go get you cleaned up..."

"Why don't you let me give her a bath. Relax. Your father and I can handle it."

After they took Kaley, Edward went to join Bella. "I love your family."

"They're pretty great. Sometimes a little overbearing but they really do mean well."

"I can't wait until you can come out and meet everyone back home. This would have been the perfect weekend for it...it's one of my friends' birthdays. Jake said we're all going out to party."

"I wish I could make it but I couldn't go to the party with Kaley anyway. I'm sure the last thing Jake wants is some old man and kid tagging along."

"You are not an old man. An old man couldn't have done what you did yesterday afternoon. I'll miss you."

"You'll have Jake to keep you company," he didn't say it rudely but Bella knew it bothered him.

"Edward..." Bella began, this time giving him the warning.

"I'm sorry. I just have bad experiences...don't worry about it. Really, have fun with your friends and Kal and I will be here when you come home."

"Edward, I'm not her," Bella said quietly, reaching for his hand.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Besides, Jazz will be there and you can drill him for full reports on my behavior. I promise, no canoodling with Jake."

"Canoodling?"

"I like the word. Leave me alone."

"Well, when you get back, we'll do lots of canoodling. I'm going to candoodle you to death..." Bella laughed at the way he was over exaggerating the word.

"Jazz, I swear to God, if you drive any faster I'm going to call Edward and tell him you're going to end up murdering his girlfriend."

"Vehicular homicide...you have to admit it kind of sounds cool," Jasper laughed from the driver's seat in response to Alice's nagging.

Bella rolled her eyes at the exchange, petted Peanut, and assured Alice by saying, "He's just excited to meet your parents."

The car immediately slowed down exponentially and Bella laughed, she knew he was nervous about meeting the Brandon's. "Oh, Jasper, you're going to be fine," Alice said, slapping his arm playfully.

"Yeah, her dad only has one or two handguns. No big deal," Bella said with a grin.

Alice laughed but didn't say anything to try to prove her wrong—because she wasn't. "So, we are dropping you off at your parents and then Jake is going to meet up with us there later tonight. I think he's coming around ten to go out."

Bella had been dreading telling Jake about Edward and she only had a couple hours before breaking the news. She was wondering if she should tell her mom and dad first about Edward and Kaley, though wondering if telling them that Kaley considered Bella her mother was a good idea or not. When they pulled in, Bella grabbed her bags and headed inside, figuring it just needed to be done like ripping off a band-aid—quick and painless.

She never got to say what she wanted. The second she was through the front doors of her happy childhood home, she knew something wasn't right. Her mother's books, the ones she'd always leave everywhere were gone. There were no plants in the windows any longer. Peanut ran farther into the house and she let him go. A feeling of dread began to wash through her. "Mom? Dad?" Bella called, dropping her bags and watching as both parents came around the corner.

"Bella! You're home," her mother sighed, giving her a huge hug.

Charlie was next, wrapping his arms around her before pulling away awkwardly.

"Hey, dad."

"Well, come in. Sit down..."

"What's going on?" Bella asked quietly, wanting the sick feeling in her stomach to go away.

"Why don't we sit down..."

"Mom. Tell me. Now." This wasn't right. They were being way cryptic. She prayed no one was dead...but assumed they would have called her about it. Plus, she didn't have any grandparents left for it to be something like that. She was just going through the list of great-aunts that might still be alive when she noticed her parents glancing between her and each other. "Seriously, you guys are freaking me out."

"Honey...your father and I...well we think it's best that...we wanted to tell you in person..."

"Mom, I'm in person. Spit it out."

"We're getting a divorce," her father blurted out.

**There are not words to describe how amazing you all are! Keep it up! I hope you enjoyed the lemon ;) LP xoxo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 16**

"What?" Bella gasped. She felt like her world was crumbling. The two people who seemed untouchable and happy together were now getting a divorce. She took a step back, leaning against the closest wall as Peanut joined them again and waved his tail happily. "Mom...where's your plants...and books?"

"I moved out a few days ago..."

"No..." Bella whispered.

"Bella, I'm sorry. We both are. I know this is a lot right now..."

"No. A lot would the death of a relative...a lot would be telling me you were pregnant...this...this is ludicrous. You've been married for how many years and now you want to throw that away..."

"Honey, please just come sit down and we'll talk everything out..."

"You moved out days ago? How the hell did you not tell me this before? How long have you been planning this?"

"It's been happening little by little over time. We just aren't meeting eye to eye anymore and we're tired of fighting. We both think it's best for us if we just step back and let each other live our lives..."

"What about me?"

"Bella, you're twenty two and live away from home. It's not like there's going to have to be a custody battle..."

"Okay," Bella said, raising her hands so that her palms were facing them, "I need a moment. I need a few moments...to process...everything..."

Walking out the front door, Bella sat down on the top step of her porch. This was insane. This was a bad dream...she'd been under a lot of stress... and this was just a really, really bad dream. Her parents must have decided to give her time because they left her alone and she couldn't decide if that was a good thing. She needed to talk...but not to them. Alice and Jake were really her only two options and Bella didn't want to ruin Jasper's introduction to the family with her problems. Jake was supposed to meet them anyway so she called him.

"Jake? I think...I think I need you to be here. Like, now."

"Why? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Please, just get here. I'll...I'll explain later..."

"Alright. I'm coming."

Bella saw him walking across the yards of her neighbors from his house three doors away. The second she saw him, she strode towards him and he wrapped her in a tight hug. Unable to get the image of Edward out of her head, Bella pulled away shortly after and began walking, not planning to go anywhere in particular. While they lived just outside of Seattle, it was a nice neighborhood. When they were at a sufficient distance from the house, she turned to her childhood best friend, the one who'd been there to punch a kid in the face who tried to steal her chocolate bar at lunch, the one who'd been there when she wrecked her first car, and the one she'd been there for when his mother died of cancer. "They're getting a divorce."

"Who? That guy?"

"No! My mom and dad."

"What?" Jake gasped, much like Bella just had.

"I know, right?" Bella said, sounding like she was having the nervous breakdown that she was.

"Okay...calm down."

"Calm down? _Calm down_?"

"Does Alice know?"

"She introducing Jasper to her parents and I didn't want to bother her..."

"Why didn't that guy come with you?"

"Ugh! Jake, his name is Edward. He has a name."

"Okay, okay. Edward. Why didn't he come? Alice said you were like with him all the time and he's sweet to you—which he better be because I'll kill him..."

"He's great. I was actually waiting to talk to you about him. You aren't like freaking out?"

"I was. I don't like him. I don't like that he already knocked up one chick and now he's after you..."

"Okay, can you just go back to annoyed indifference? Thanks." Bella shook her head, trying not to slap him.

They both became quiet as Bella plopped down on the curb and put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry, Bells. This whole things with your mom and dad...it just sucks. I don't know what else to say..."

"I'm in love with him, Jake!" Bella said like word vomit before even realizing she was going to say it. "I love him so much. Now they're getting a divorce...and I think he is?" she said it like a question.

She looked up to see Jake staring at her for a little while before he regain his composure. "I'm sorry?"

"Why are you apologizing?"

"It sounds like you're confused. I'm sorry that you're confused..."

"Oh my, God, I've completely lost my damn mind. It's just hard being away from you guys. Ya, know? Then I'm living three hours away and I meet this guy who's amazing but he has a daughter and I love them both. So fucking much that it hurts! While going to school and taking care of Kaley and trying to be there for him while he's a fucked up mess because of his bitch wife... I was so scared you were going to hate me. I didn't want you to hate me. I just want you to be happy for me. I love you, too but not that way...I'm...frustrated..." Bella finally quit with the uncontrollable blabbering and Jake was just looking at her like Jake always had...like he understood—and even if he didn't he'd fight to figure it out so that he could.

"Bella, I'm not really sure why you're upset about all of this. Yeah, the divorce I get but you...like...this guy and his daughter. So, I don't see why you couldn't...spend time...with him..."

Bella smiled, knowing Jake all too well. "That's not at all what you want to say is it?"

"No," Jake said, concern being replaced by dead honesty. "I hate the guy because he's older and I think he's taking advantage of you. I can't hate the kid...because she's a kid...but it pisses me off that you see her more than me so I guess that still makes me an asshole."

Bella shook her head and laughed, "You aren't an asshole. You're Jake."

"You know, of all the ways to tell me you were seeing someone, you could have just told me like a normal person would using coherent sentences," he joked, punching her arm playfully.

"I'm just really stressed. I'm sorry I dumped all of that on you. Oh, there's like two more things I need to tell you."

"Oh, God..."

"Kaley feels that I'm her mother and Edward told me I couldn't canoodle with you."

"What?"

"I know, he made fun of my word too..."

"No. Bella, are you insane? She thinks you're her mother? You let it happen? He's okay with that?"

"Um...yes," Bella said sheepishly from behind the locks of hair that had fallen down around her face.

"What did Charlie say about all of this."

"He doesn't know."

"I pray to God I'm there when you tell him. I'm totally bringing popcorn."

Eventually, she and Jake made their way to their respective houses and she was surprised—and upset—to find that her mom was gone for the night. Thankfully, Charlie wasn't the talkative type and left her alone. Heading to her room, she called Edward to check in with him and Kaley and break the news to him.

"Hello?" he answered, though Bella could barely hear him against the noise in the background.

"Where are you?" she yelled on her end, as if it would help matters.

"I'll call you back!" the phone went dead and a few moments later began to ring again. This time, things were much more calm.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm at the bar with Emmett."

"Who has Kaley?" Bella demanded.

"My mom."

"Oh. Okay," she said, much more calmly.

"How are things in Seattle? Everyone still hanging in there?"

"Um...Edward my parents are getting a divorce."

"I'm sorry, Bells. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I mean, I guess I kind of saw it coming. They fight all the time but it's just hard, ya know?"

"I know."

"I told Jake about you and Kaley...and that I wasn't allowed to canoodle."

"Good. You're mine, Swan. How did he take the news?"

"Better than I thought but I was kind of a blabbering mess from the atomic bomb my parents dropped on me when I had walked in the door. I kind of ended up ranting to him. I came home to get dressed, Alice wants to go out tonight."

"Alright. Well, I should get back in there, anyway. They brought in a mechanical bull and Rosalie is going to attempt it. I'll probably have to break up at least five fights because of Emmett getting jealous of the guys staring at her. Please watch how much you drink, Bella. I know you said the night you two were in bed together didn't mean anything but it would upset me if it happened again. I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm just being honest with you."

"I know. I didn't mean anything and I don't plan to drink that much. I'll call sometime tomorrow to say hi to Kaley. What time are you meeting Tanya?"

"Around lunchtime."

"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Love you."

Bella threw on her blue spotted Muse t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. While he dad was already snoring in the next room, Jake picked her up and they headed off to a club that was having a band Jake liked. Alice had sent her a text saying they'd meet them there, that she and Jazz were running a little late, but they'd be there shortly. She worried that things hadn't gone well but couldn't understand how or why. The Brandon's were the nicest people she'd ever met.

Jake was dressed in a black v-neck tee and dark jeans. He looked good, though not Edward good. Bella smiled at the thought of Edward and his 'messy pants' that had occurred a few days prior. She missed him but was glad he was out with his friends, too. He deserved a few good nights out. At the club, a few people from school recognized her and said hi as they made their way to the bar. She ordered a Blue Maui with lemon lime soda and let Jake lead her to the dance floor. He was a good dancer and the band really was great—they were playing songs by My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and others that were more modern. It was refreshing to not have to hear a new version of the older songs she was used to from cover bands.

She was on her second drink before Alice showed up and flitted over to them. "Hey, did everything go okay?" Bella called over the music.

"It went great! My mom was showing him family videos...the poor guy," Alice laughed, giving Jake a hug and kiss on the cheek. "How are you, Jake?"

"Great. I'm glad you two are back!"

"Well, we're happy to be back!" Alice shouted and started dancing. They joined and Jasper soon brought drinks over for himself and Alice.

The band played for about another two hours and when they stopped, last call was called. From eleven to two, Bella had only drank three drinks and was getting ridiculously tired. "Let's call it a night, Jake," Bella said after going back to the dance floor to find him talking to the lead singer.

"Bella, this is Garrett.."

"Oh my, God! You went to school with us, I thought you looked familiar! How are you?"

"I'm great. I was just telling Jake that we're having a big party at my place after we get things cleaned up. You two should come over."

"Oh...um..."

"Let us talk about it," Jake put in, glancing over at Bella.

When Garrett had left, he turned to her. "Come on, I get to see you for like three days all semester. Let's go have some fun. I'm betting Jess, Lauren, and Ang will be there."

"Jake, Lauren isn't old enough to drink. I can't be at parties where there's minors. You know this."

"What about Quil's birthday tomorrow?"

"I was going to go for a little bit but you can stay. He's your friend..."

"Bella, he used to be your friend, too. They all used to be. You were never a partier but it's gotten worse since you moved."

"I'm sorry. I just have to be a little more responsible right now. This is it, Jake. This is student teaching and then I'm done. I'm out in the real world."

"Yeah, with a kid."

"That's not fair." Bella was aware that Japer and Alice were approaching them, Alice obviously a little tipsy.

"Bells, it's the truth. You're a mom now, I guess," he said rolling his eyes, and Jasper looked them over, like he was making sure there wasn't a problem.

"Kaley does have a lot to do with it but I have other reasons to not be stupid. Jake, just take me home and then you can go out with them. Just please be careful."

"Actually, I could take her home. Bella, just come with me and Alice," Jasper spoke up, as Alice watched the exchange beside him.

"I'll take her. I'm fine. Are you ready now?" he asked, reaching for her arm.

She pulled it away and shook her head, "I'm just going to go home with them. Go have fun."

Bella ended up back home with Jake obviously pissed at her and Jasper pissed off at Jake. Alice was trying to play on neutral territory and Bella's heart went out to her. She was pretty mad at Jake as well but knew he'd been drinking...and that come tomorrow he'd be apologizing and they'd be fine with each other. The Saturday of Fall Fest there was always a parade downtown at noon and fireworks at night. She couldn't help but feel disappointed that Kaley would miss the parade—knowing she'd love it.

Alice showed up to get her around 11. "Morning, chief!" she said, scooping up Peanut.

"Good morning, Al," her father said cheerfully, the two of them had always gotten along well. "Jasper, right?"

"Yes, sir. Charlie Swan?"

"You got it. You kids headed to the parade?"

"Yeah," Bella answered, finishing her bowl of cereal.

"Well, be careful. Lots of loonies will be out tonight. Isn't Jake going with you?" her father asked as an afterthought.

"Um...I don't know," Bella said awkwardly, he hadn't called her since the night before.

"Keep an eye on them, Jasper," her dad responded and Bella had to roll her eyes. "I'll be out on patrol. Call me if you need anything, Bells."

Sitting on a curb, the three of them waited for the sirens to begin to announce the beginning of the parade. Between the frustration with Jake and sleeping in, Bella had forgotten to call Edward and felt terrible about it. She knew they were with Tanya and didn't want to bother them so she suffered through the cheer-filled parade, wishing she could be at home...and not with her father...with Edward.

As the sirens went off, she felt arms wrap around her shoulders and she went to stand up but couldn't quite manage it. "Chill, Bells. It's just me. Slide over, Al," Jake's voice said from behind them as Bella watched Alice move over for him to sit between them.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said to her while a group of clowns went by.

"I figured."

"Why don't you let me buy you a funnel cake after the parade? Then will you forgive me?"

Bella relented and nodded her head with a smile, knowing she could never resist the pull of deep fried batter and sugar. The parade was fun and she got pelted with plenty of candy but there just seemed to be an empty whole in her chest and the only person that could fill it was with his wife. Jasper volunteered to drive them to the park where the main festivities were being held. They were only halfway there when Jasper got a phone call and saw that it was Edward. "Al, can you get that, he probably wants to talk to Bella anyway."

"Hello? No. Oh my, God." Bella sat in the back, listening as her best friend was obviously trying to get a story out of Edward...a story she was betting she really didn't want to hear.

**The next chapter will be Edward's Saturday afternoon. I hate overlapping like that but it was easier to show what happened that way. I don't normally do it and it drives me nuts when you show one character side and then the other...but these are two different events so it shouldn't be too bad lol. There's going to be a lot of drama starting for the next couple chapters—at least. A new chapter should be up within the next 24 hours. LP xoxo PS You all rock!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 17**

"Daddy...want mommy..."

Edward listened to his daughter whine in the backseat as she pulled the pigtails which were already uneven out of her hair. Bella always did it better, he didn't know why he even bothered. "Kaley, we're going to visit Tanya and her mommy and daddy."

"No," was all Kaley said and they way she said it was exactly as Bella would have...in that stubborn way that made him smile.

"Yes," he laughed, shaking his head at his daughter's attempt at being the adult.

"Nooo," Kaley said in her baby voice this time.

Edward decided on another approach. "Why don't you want to see her, baby?"

"She no nice."

"Why not," Edward asked, trying not to let her hear the worry in his voice. When she didn't say anything he asked again, "Kaley, why?"

"I want mommy."

"Honey, you have to tell daddy why you don't want to see Tanya."

"She mean," Kaley repeated, getting agitated.

"Does she yell at you."

"Uh-huh."

"Why?"

"I wanted to pway wif baby."

"Were you nice to the baby?" Edward asked, realizing how frustrating it was to get a story from a two year old."

"I was loud and she cwied."

"The baby cried?"

"Uh-huh. She made me have naptime."

"What do you mean she made you?" he asked, feeling like he was conducting an interrogation.

"She let me eat candy and made me sleepy."

Edward rolled his eyes then. He figured what probably happened was Tanya got annoyed with her for being noisy and waking Carmen's daughter so she made her try to take a nap. While it pissed him off, and he intended to say something to Tanya about it, he didn't see it as a reason to worry. He didn't let Kaley have candy very often so it didn't surprise him that she'd mention that.

When he pulled up at the food court in the mall, the place they decided to all meet, he saw Linda and Eleazer Denali standing at the entrance. They had always been kind to him and he had no hard feelings towards them. They were fundamental in Tanya's agreement to keep the baby and carry her to term. "If daddy stays will you be okay visiting her?"

"I want mommy," Kaley pouted again.

"Mommy isn't home. She'll be back tomorrow. Come on, let's go see two very nice people."

As soon as Tanya's parents saw them, Linda brought her hands to her mouth and tears began to come. Edward couldn't help but hug her when she reached out to him. He had missed her family for a long time after the split. They really were good people. "Linda, Eli, this is Kaley Ann."

"She's so beautiful..." Linda said breathlessly.

"Hi, sweetie," Eleazer smiled, reaching out to touch her cheek.

"I love her, already," Linda smiled, kissing her granddaughter on the other cheek.

"Is Tanya coming?" Eleazer asked, looking behind them at the parking lot.

"She said she was. Do you want to wait for her inside?"

"Yeah, let's go grab something to eat. I bet our little granddaughter is starving..."

Kaley giggled and hugged Edward's shoulder in excitement. "Well, that settles it, let's grab some lunch."

After they had gotten their meals and sat down to eat, they got to talking. "You know, Edward, we hate what she did to you. She's our daughter and we don't hate her but what she did...and to think she willingly missed out on being around for this little girl."

"You don't have to say anything, Linda. It happened, it's over and honestly, I just want to be able to move on. Kaley is my life right now and she always will be. Tanya was afraid of that and she left. It's as simple as that."

"To think Kaley will grow up without a mother, though. Every little girl needs her mommy..."

"Mommy!" Kaley exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. "I want mommy!"

Edward laughed at her over-exuberance but realized Tanya's parents both had wide, proud smiles on their faces. Linda leaned over and rubbed her arm, "Mommy's on her way, honey. She should be here any minute...that's just like your mommy always late..."

This seemed to appease Kaley but it put him in a bad position. "Um...actually...the woman she's referring to is in Seattle visiting her parents."

"Oh," Linda said, turning red, "I'm sorry. I just thought..."

"You don't have to apologize. Bella's been there for her a lot lately...Kaley loves her..."

"No...no...you always were handsome, Edward. It's no surprise at all that you found someone else."

"You aren't upset?"

"Edward! Why would we be upset? Honey, we barely see Tanya. This will be the first time that she's even tried to see us since...probably two or three months...and it was because I had to beg her to talk to you about seeing Kaley."

"Lin, really, you could have just called me," Edward said, feeling bad for assuming Tanya's parents had just taken the indifferent stance that Tanya had.

"We didn't want to complicate things, dear. We just really missed her..."

"I should have called. I should have made sure you saw her...I just didn't think you wanted to see her and that Tanya would be royally upset if I tried...I'm sorry..."

"Well, I have to admit, we were a little upset but Tanya made it sound like you hated all three of us so we just tried to stay out of it. I guess I should have figured...I know she's my daughter but...I could just slap her sometimes."

"Lin, it's fine. Whenever you want to see Kaley again, just call. My cell and house numbers haven't changed. I'm hoping Tanya will sign the divorce papers today, she said she would."

"Wait, what? You aren't divorced?" Eleazer asked, his voice obviously annoyed.

"No," Edward said cautiously, wondering if Tanya's dad was going to ream him a new one for dating someone else while still being married to his daughter. "I thought you knew that...she wouldn't sign the papers. I've been trying to get her to do it for years. She just...won't..."

"I told you, Linda! Didn't I tell you! She's been lying for months!"

"About what? The divorce?" Edward asked, now totally confused.

Linda shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "She told us it was a matter of papers being misfiled by the court system or something. I didn't realize it wasn't because she just wouldn't sign the things!"

Edward saw that Kaley was watching the exchange quietly, as if her two year old brain could process the fact that Tanya was a lying bitch. He hadn't realized how angry he was until he broke the plastic fork in his hand. "I don't know why she isn't here yet. Do you think we should call her?"

"I haven't really talked to her but when I do she usually just tells me about her problems. I swear, the girl has more problems than everyone I know put together. Anyway, she said she's having trouble sleeping and she's been taking pills for it. Maybe she just fell asleep?"

Edward looked at Kaley, a dark, nasty suspicion beginning to take form in his head. He gripped the edge of the table...unable to even fathom the amount of animosity he was feeling. He heard Eleazer say that he'd call and see where she was as he took out a phone. Candy. The fucking bitch had given Kaley 'candy' because she woke up the baby from being too noisy...making her go to sleep. "Edward, are you okay?" he heard his soon to be ex-mother-in-law ask him.

"Um...Linda, do you know what she took? What pills they were?"

"Yeah. They were the same pills I take when I can't sleep at night. I mean, they're prescribed but I don't use them often...only a few times a month..."

"Do you have any with you?" he asked, his teeth clenched.

"Let me look," she frowned, grabbing her purse. Edward knew he probably looked scary as hell to the poor woman.

"What the...heck...do you mean Tanya Elizabeth? You better..." Edward was watching Eleazer curiously, wondering what she had done this time but he actually stood up and walked away from them. Linda stopped digging and looked over at her husband before resuming her search. Finally, after a few more seconds, she pulled out a little bottle and handed it to Edward. It was a name he could barely read let alone recognize but knew Kaley would remember 'candy' when she saw it.

Grabbing a napkin, he opened the bottle and shook a couple pills onto it. "Kaley, honey, is this the candy that Tanya gave you when she made you go to sleep?"

"I sorry...I bad..."

"No, daddy isn't mad at you. Tell me, did Tanya give you candy that looked like this?"

She nodded her head and that's all Edward needed. "Where did she get them, Kaley?"

"In the bottle," Kaley pointed to the typical yellowish orange prescription bottle that was in his hand.

"No...oh, God..." Linda was saying, her hand going to her mouth again. Edward put the pills back into the bottle and handed it across the table to it's owner before Kaley could get them. Linda took them and tucked them away before the tears really started to fall. She opened her mouth to say something when her husband came back. He didn't bother to sit down, just through his arms up in surrender.

"She's not coming. She _visiting_ in _Vancouver_ with some _guy_...what's wrong?" he asked, seeing his wife had been crying.

"She...Tanya...she..."

"She gave my daughter adult strength sleeping pills," Edward bit out, putting his head in his hands and pulling at his hair.

"She what? Edward...we...I never..."

"I'm not angry with either of you...I'm just really, really angry with her. I think we should be going. I need to take her to my dad's to get her checked out. I'm sorry...for all of this...if you want to see her just call and we'll arrange something. I'm sorry but I can't let Tanya see her again. Ever," he said, picking Kaley and her little book bag up.

Linda came around and gave him a hug, whispering that she would definitely give it to Tanya the second she could get a hold of her and that she was sorry. Eleazer held out his hand to shake Edward's. "We'll get those signed papers to you as soon as we can. If you need anything from us, anything at all, please don't hesitate to call."

Bella. He needed to call Bella. Then, he thought of how upset she'd been about her parent's divorce and decided to call Jasper instead. He needed to vent and Emmett would tell Rose...who would end up in jail for murder. Jasper was the calmest of everyone, slow to react, and an almost calming presence. When Alice answered, he probably should have tried to stay a little calmer but just couldn't pull it off. Her little voice came over the phone with a questioning 'hello' and he just let it gush out. "Alice, I need to talk to Jasper right now! Is he busy? Oh, God, Tanya gave Kaley sleeping pills..."

He hadn't meant for the last part to come out but truly could not control it. He needed to talk and Alice ended up being the innocent bystander. He would never forget the five foot tall girl's reaction. "No. Oh my, God."

That's when he knew this was going to kill Bella. It was killing him and now he was going to drag her with him. He never hated himself at that moment more than any other time in his entire life. This was sick. This was the most fucked up thing that Tanya had ever done. While he may have known deep down letting her see Kaley was a bad idea, he truly never would have expected this result. He would have killed himself before he let her see Kaley if he'd had any idea of the lengths she'd go to.

"Alice, is Bella with you?"

"Yeah. She's in the backseat, right behind me."

"Dad!" Edward yelled, practically running into the house with a confused Kaley in his arms.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked, running in from the kitchen as Carlisle came towards them from the living room.

"Sleeping pills. Tanya gave her sleeping pills!"

Carlisle immediately pushed Kaley's bangs out of the way to feel her forehead and look at her eyes. "She looks alright..."

"No! The night of the gala! I let her babysit...oh God. I was so stupid!"

"Edward, calm down," Esme said, taking Kaley from him and rocking her. Having both hands free, they immediately went to his hair.

"Your mom's right. Relax. She's fine. I know it makes you sick to think about but it was given to her weeks ago. Any trace of it would be out of her system by now. I just didn't think...I mean she was groggy when we picked her up but it was late at night and it definitely couldn't have been to strong of a dose ..."

"This is illegal. This has to be illegal!" Edward was pacing now.

"I'm going to take her into the kitchen," Esme said, obviously wanting to keep her granddaughter from hearing their discussion.

"We can't prove that it happened. She's fine," Carlisle said, grabbing his shoulder and getting him to make eye contact. "I want to kill her for this too, okay? I'm not defending her."

"I know. I just...I keep messing up. Dad, I keep fucking messing up...I was stupid and I was upset when Bella left. I just...I saw how much Kaley was hurting and I thought she wanted a mom...I didn't realize she just needed Bella. I think we both do but Tanya has completely ruined me. I love her but what if I'm not good enough? I mean, okay, everyone tells me I'm a good dad. What if I can't pull of the husband part? I couldn't with Tanya and she's...awful. Bella's good and pure and everything Tanya's not. How can I be good enough for her?"

"Edward, are you considering being a husband to Bella?" Carlisle asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, yeah. I think about it all the time. I mean, I don't want her to know that and I'm not going to jump into it with her right away but seeing my daughter with her...I can't not think about it. I love her, dad. I love her so much it physically hurts that she's in Seattle right now."

"Edward, look, there's nothing you can do about Kaley right now. Did you see Tanya today?"

"She never showed up. Her dad called after we were all finished eating and told me she's in Canada with some guy! She was going to sign the divorce papers today...and she never showed up," he said, throwing his hands in the air.

"Can I be honest with you, Edward? Completely honest?"

"Yeah," Edward said, swallowing back tears that threatened to fall.

"Edward, she's not going to step up. I see this all the time. Single parents come in and vent about their child's deadbeat mother or father. Every one of them wants the other parent to take some responsibility. They're bitter. They're tired. They're frustrated. You're starting to get that way and it's going to eat you alive. You know, when this divorce first happened, I thought this was how it would be. From the get go. You didn't let that happen, though. You never once even tried to contact her for help. Never.

"I think now you are seeing someone who loves Kaley and it makes you angry that the one person who should have been there for her wasn't. Then, you blame yourself for it. Bella comes along and you fall in love with her but now, your love for her is coiling itself into your hate for Tanya. You've built this shell around yourself to keep feelings out and now that Bella's broken through that, you're letting your feelings get the best of you. Tanya's gone, Edward. We all know you don't want her back but you need to stop whatever mission you're hellbent on with her before you ruin a relationship that you should have the chance to experience with Bella."

Edward stood there in silence staring at the floor. After awhile he finally said, "I need a favor."

"Anything."

"I need you and mom to take Kaley. Just for tonight. I'll be home tomorrow evening."

His dad just smiled knowingly and looked down at his watch. "You can make it before it's not too late if you go now."

**Almost 200 reviews! I never got to reach 200 with Waiting for the End, only 199 lol This is very exciting for me! I love you all! Next update will happen within 24 hours again :) LP xoxo **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 18**

Bella shared a blanket with Alice and Jasper at the local football field waiting for the fireworks display. Jake was coming down with the rest of the 'pack' but she hadn't seen them yet and was beginning to wonder if they were going to make it before the lights went out and the show began. Her dad was standing at the front of the crowd, keeping out anyone who wanted to sit in front of the roped off area. The news Edward had shared with her today made her sick. She hadn't even eaten all of her funnel cake. Bella was seething and wished they had known what Tanya had done so they could have notified authorities.

Carlisle had taken urine samples to check for a kidney infection when she was sick but according to Edward, the tests he ran wouldn't have picked up drugs and the samples had long been disposed of. She wanted to go home, back to Forks. He sounded so upset, so flustered on the phone and she could guarantee his stress was stressing out Kaley. Jake had been trying to cheer her up all day but not even he could take her mind off of those she loved in Forks.

Jasper had been looking around constantly for the past five minutes and she assumed he was looking for Jake, something that shocked her. The night before the two could have gotten into a fist fight and it wouldn't have surprised her. "Ladies and Gentleman, the display will be starting in five minutes. Please find your seats. You must remain sitting while the lights are off unless for an extreme emergency. We'd like to take some time to thank..."

Bella looked over and saw Jasper craning his neck every which way before standing up. "What are you doing? You heard the guy!" Alice protested reaching for his arm.

"Al, Ill be right back, I need to use the restroom."

"Hurry! Like run!"

Bella rolled her eyes at the two of them, they were already like an old married couple. After he left, Bella went to ask Alice about Jake's whereabouts when she felt arms wrap around her waist and someone's body against her back. She shifted uncomfortably and went to push away, about to give Jake an earful for being an asshole. Her blood boiled but the guy whispered, "Sorry, I was looking for my daughter's mommy..."

"Oh my, God," Bella breathed, leaning back against him and immediately relaxing. "What are you doing here?"

Spinning around, she took him in and then looked for Kaley. "Where's Kals?"

"With my parents. I wanted to see you and couldn't wait until tomorrow." He pulled her back to him and kissed her shoulder before kissing her cheek.

"I'm assuming Jasper had something to do with this?"

"I wanted to surprise you and I knew Alice can't keep a secret," he teased.

"Shut up, Cullen. It depends on the secret!" Alice burst.

The lights went dark and Bella glanced over from her perch on Edward's lap to see that Jasper was back. Jake still hadn't shown. The first couple booms made her jump but she relaxed and reveled in Edward being close to her. She missed Kaley but this time it was daddy that needed comforted. "Thank you," she said, looking up at him, "for driving the whole way out here. It means a lot."

"The pleasure is mine. I've been thinking and I thought that I only had one question for you concerning Kaley but now I think there are two."

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, suddenly worried.

"I'd like to know if you would want to meet Tanya's parents and decide for yourself if you think they should be allowed to see her. I told them Tanya wouldn't be. Ever again. Apparently, they haven't got a whole lot of care for Tanya, either."

"Well, yeah, I guess so. Maybe we could get dinner with them sometime...and take Kaley...so I can see how they are with her."

"Sounds good."

"What's the second question?" Bella asked, bracing herself for something bad.

"I was thinking a lot on the way here and with you leaving as soon as I get home from work and my weekends so tied up with the station, we never really see each other. Kaley knows you way better than I do. I just...I mean...you said you'd tell me if you thought something was too much, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Bella, I was wondering if maybe you'd consider moving in...with me."

"Edward..."

"Too soon? I thought you'd feel that way..."

"No," Bella said quickly, "I just need to talk to Alice. I mean, I can't just make her pay double what she was going to..."

"Let me talk to Esther. She's a family friend and I've known her for awhile now. I bet I can get her to let Alice rent for half of what you two are now. They already have the house paid off. I could get her to just let Alice pay utilities and things like that. I just know when student teaching starts I'll never see you and Kaley isn't going to be able to deal with going days without getting to spend time with you. Just consider it."

Bella sat there, watching the beautiful colors in the sky and trying to comprehend what he had just asked her. This was something she would dream about but never had she expected it to come up so soon. The idea of being with Edward every night, tucking Kaley in for bed, waking up to Edward every morning...it made her ridiculously giddy. "I think it's a good idea. I'll talk to Alice about it tonight. I mean, it's going to take some getting used to but if it doesn't work out and you get sick of me, I can go back to the old house."

Edward held her closer and whispered, "I could do many things when it comes to you but getting sick is not one of them."

When the last group of lights fizzled out, the lights came back on and people began leaving. Most of the people on the ground hung around to chat, figuring it would be pointless to fight the crowds in the parking lot to get out. Bella eventually...and reluctantly, let go of Edward. "Al, has Jake said anything to you? I hope he's okay..."

"I was kind of wondering the same thing. I'll call him..."

"Never mind...the whole pack's here," Bella said laughing.

Sure enough, Jake, Quil, and Embry all headed toward them with Embry's girlfriend, Leah in tow. Bella could tell they were ready for a night out on the town and now understood that they hadn't been up to sitting on the semi-wet ground. "There she is!" Quil called loudly when he was a few feet away. Completely ignoring Edward, who was standing right beside her, he caught her in a bear hug before throwing her over his shoulder and spinning her around. "Jake told us you up and got a boy toy. This him?"

Bella, who was still thrown over Quil's shoulder rolled her eyes. "Yes, this is him. Quil Attera, meet Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Quil, I've known him almost as long as I've known Jake."

"Nice meeting you, man. You ready to party? We're so going to party!"

"I'm ready but I do much better partying when I'm standing on my own," Bella hinted.

"Oh...sorry..." Quil righted her again.

Alice was laughing at the exchange while Jasper was watching with amused curiosity. Embry was high fiving Alice and shaking hands with Jasper while Leah hugged Bella. Jake kind of stood to the side, like he felt awkward. Bella frowned and punched his shoulder playfully. "Why didn't you call? Al and I were starting to worry."

"I ended up riding down with these guys and Leah didn't want to sit on the ground. You had company. I'm sure you were fine." Bella gave a small smile and shook her head, knowing he was jealous of Edward.

"Bells, you are coming with us tonight, right? I mean, we haven't seen you in forever..." Embry went on.

Bella looked over at Edward who gave her the go ahead. "Please, Quil just turned 21 and you think I'd miss it? Are you insane?"

"We're all staying at the dorms tonight. Invitations open," Leah said, putting her arm around Alice as they began to head towards the parking lot.

Bella hadn't been out with Edward like this before. He wasn't being his typical, uptight, the world may end if I'm not perfect self. Instead, Bella found he was actually enjoying himself...even around Jake. She and Edward had come out with Alice and Jasper after leaving Edward's car at the field. Bella was discovering that Jasper had a serious car fetish but he definitely was not a city driver. When they got into downtown Seattle from the field, she got that weird reminiscing feeling and wished Kaley were there to show her where she grew up.

Now, they were in a packed club and Bella was dancing with Alice and Leah while Jasper and Edward were at the bar talking. "Bells, he's hot," Leah gushed, staring at Bella's boyfriend's backside.

"I know, right?" she laughed.

"I definitely see why Jake is taking this so hard."

"I think this is it, Le. I think he's it," Bella said, smiling.

"His daughter is adorable!" Alice squealed, lifting her drink in the air.

Bella and Leah rolled their eyes at how much Alice had drank in the hour they had been there. "He asked me to move in with him and I think I'm going to say yes. That is...if it's okay with Ms. Stumbly Pants."

"Sure!" Alice slurred.

"I'll ask again tomorrow when you have a clue about what I'm asking you."

Bella felt someone come up behind her and wrap their arms around her waist, yet again. "Edward, you really need to stop this, you're going to give me a heart attack," Bella laughed, leaning back into him. At the same time she reached the short hair on the person's head, she saw the expression of Alice and Leah. Spinning around, she shoved him away from her. "Jake what the hell?"

Everything was a blur then. She realized Jake was drunk, really drunk, and he reached for her again. Edward was making his way to them quickly with Jasper close on his heels. Quil and Embry were walking from the other direction. She tried to shake off Jake, who was latched onto her shoulder, as she held her other hand up she told Edward to calm down. It was a waste of breath.

"Get your fucking hands off of her. I'm serious, Jake!"

Quil and Embry disconnected Jake from her and Edward looked like he was struggling to control his temper. Jasper was standing in front of a very drunk Alice and she leaned around him, saying the only thing that could have made the situation worse. "Jake, you can't do that! She moving in with Edward!"

The look of shock on Jake's face was enough to make Bella feel bad despite the situation. "Jake..." he didn't want to hear her though, he turned around and walked away from them. "Jake, wait..."

Quil stood in front of her, "Let him go, Bells. He needs to sober up and he'll come around."

"But he's..."

"Bella." Edward's voice stopped her protests. He was looking at her with such devastation that she wanted to cry.

"Just let me talk to him, okay? Embry, will you come with me?"

"Yeah. I don't think he wants to talk, though Bella."

Edward shook his head but stood back and motioned for her to leave. She took off across the crowded room with Embry close at her heels. She knew the club well and hit the set of stairs that she knew lead to the back entrance where they had come in. Jake was striding down the alley towards the sidewalk since he hadn't driven himself. "Jake! Wait!" Bella called, running after him.

He stopped when he got to the front of the club and began pacing, probably waiting for a cab. "Please, just look at me!"

"What?" he asked spinning towards her. "You know, I've been in love with you for years, Bella! You fucking know that and you never once even let on that you knew. I just...I thought after school you'd want to settle down and now...you meet him and you're living together and..."

"Jake, I'm sorry. I love you. You do know I love you but I don't love you like you love me. I love him and you have to accept that or this friendship isn't going to work."

"Twenty two years, Bells. Twenty two fucking years and it took him what...one damn day? You never even gave me a chance!"

"Jake, it's too late now. I'm moving in with him..."

"Then goodbye."

"What?" Bella gasped.

"I said goodbye."

"After twenty two fucking years, Jake?" Bella bit out, refusing to let herself cry.

"I'm not going to sit back and watch you throw your life away for some fuck-up who wants you to raise his kid!"

"I see how much you trust my judgment," she spat, turning around to head back inside. She saw Embry looking at them both in shock.

"Bella, I don't trust him..."

"Fuck you!"

Edward had never seen Bella so shaken. He knew the second he saw her that Jake had really upset her. When he saw Jake wrapping his arms around Bella, it had taken everything to stop himself from punching the asshole. Embry hadn't come back with her and he prayed it wasn't because he had to restrain Jake. Bella was talking to Leah and Quil. "I need to get Ally home. Is it okay if we go?"

"We can just get a cab but can you wait a minute? I'm going to see if Bella wants to go home. I think she's crying."

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the car. If you're staying just text me."

"Alright. Thanks, man."

He walked over and as soon as she saw him he watched her exhale deeply and practically run to him. She clung to him, amidst the sea of dancing, happy people. "You're still here. I looked around and didn't see you..."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until you tell me to. Do you want to go home? Jasper is taking Alice home. We could go now...or not if you wanted to stay..."

"No. Let's go. I want to go."

Quil strode over to them, then. "Man, I swear Jake is the only one that's like this. Really, it was very nice to meet you. He's just kind of stuck on our Bella, here. I'm sure once he cools off things will be fine. You should come back sometime...Le says you have a daughter...you should bring her around sometime. Bells...I'm sorry about all of this..."

"I'm sorry this all happened on your birthday! I'll call you next time I come in, I promise, happy birthday."

"Alright. Are you driving?" Embry asked Edward.

"I will be when we get to my car. Jasper has to get us there. I only had one beer, though."

"Alright, drive safely guys. It was nice seeing you, love," Leah smiled and gave Bella a hug.

"Goodnight everyone," Bella said, hugging Quil and Embry next.

"It was nice meeting you all," Edward nodded, taking her hand to leave.

They walked out together and Edward pulled her to his side. "Edward, I'm sorry. I swear to you he wasn't like this before and I didn't think he'd be like this now."

"His friends seem nice," he said noncommittally.

"Yeah, they're great."

Sleeping arrangements had not been discussed and it wasn't until they were in Edward's car that Bella realized that. "I guess we could go to my dad's...I mean...I don't know. He doesn't know that we're even together. I wanted to tell him and my mom before I came but mom blew me off. I think she was in the process of moving out when I called her about it."

"Should we go to your mom's?" Edward asked, figuring there were better chances of him not getting castrated if he spent the night with her at her mom's.

"I...God...I don't even know where she lives!" Bella cried, putting her face in her hands. She felt so frustrated and in a way betrayed by Jake but even more so by her parents.

"Alright," Edward sighed, "why don't we just go to your dads?"

Bella was fighting tears. Home wasn't home anymore. It was empty, motherless, and it hurt to think about. The one place she had always felt welcome was now gone. She loved her father but it killed her when she realized they would never be the happy family they had always been. The idea of going back to the empty house, with her dad on patrol, just felt wrong. All of her life, when her father worked at night, her mom would stay up and they'd watch movies while they waited for him. Now, there was no one there.

"I guess. I don't know."

"Bells, let's go home, then. You are obviously really upset. Let's go home and we can come back...

"To my dad's?" Bella asked, now confused.

"Sorry," Edward said, running his hands absently over the steering wheel, "I meant Forks."

"Wait. What?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're obviously upset right now. Why don't we go back and then you can talk things out with your mom and dad over the phone, explain the me and Kaley situation, and then next weekend we can all drive out here. Maybe then...maybe then Jake might cool off some," Edward hated himself for how much it bothered him to have to say that, to have to pretend to even kind of like her close friend.

"You'd drive the whole way back to Forks for me? In the middle of the night? All because I'm acting like a three year old who's parents aren't getting along?"

"I would drive back to Forks because you are a woman who is going through a really rough time and I want to help shield you from it all. Besides, I never sleep, remember?" he said with a smile.

She tried to smile back but couldn't seem to get herself to do it. "Take me home," she whispered.

**Holy reviews! You guys are the best readers ever! I love everyone who takes time to do anything with my story and I love all your comments and kind words. I laugh, I cry, and I really wish I had the time to respond back to everyone...but I don't. To all my new readers, welcome! I think I was recommended by bitascull and so I need to extend lots of love to her! I never imagined this story would have so many followers! You inspire me! Love, the Letzig Princess xxxxxx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 19**

"What time is it?" Bella groaned, squinting at Edward who had gotten up to close the blinds in his room.

"Seven fifteen," he said, rubbing his eyes with his palm and stumbling back to bed.

"When do we have to get Kaley?" she asked, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

"Whenever we want to. I wasn't planning to be back until tonight so mom and dad will have her. Go back to sleep."

"What about you? You didn't even get to sleep on the ride home."

"I'm going to check the answering machine and then call and let them know we're home in case they need to get a hold of me."

Bella listened as his footsteps left the room, her back away from the door. She had never felt so conflicted in her entire life. Jake, her best friend since birth, had pretty much told her 'good riddance' the night before. Alice probably thought she was mad at her. Her dad had been upset when she called to say she had to go back to Forks. She hadn't bothered to call her mom. It felt wrong. This whole situation just felt wrong.

As Bella watched her friends's parents go through divorces, hers had always stayed strong and loving. They were the house people ended up in when things went wrong—which is how she met Alice—although her story was more tragic than just divorced parents. Bella still felt happy for her friend knowing that she was adopted by two people who loved her dearly. It was hard not to love Alice. The Brandon's had come into Ally's life in a time when she had physical bruises from her father and emotional scars from watching her mother wither away.

Alice's parents had been the epitome of a marriage that wouldn't last—and it probably shouldn't have. Her best friend had learned long ago not to trust men. Even with Jake, Alice was different. The only man, before Jasper, that she really trusted was the father that she knew now. She remembered when they were younger, when Alice would run from her new father for no reason other than she was just afraid. It took her months to even let him hug her. Charlie, of course, always had a soft spot for her and Alice did love Charlie.

Between Alice's parents, Jake losing his mom, and now even her parents, Bella began to wonder if a marriage could last. Even Edward's hadn't. Bella knew Edward loved Tanya, and she couldn't even imagine the guy Tanya would have found who could possibly be better than Edward, but it happened. Edward's love wasn't enough for her. Commitment and love were not the same thing. There was a line and Bella didn't know just how fine that line was.

Was it worth Kaley getting hurt if her and Edward wouldn't work. Hell, even Esme had to have been involved with someone before Carlisle and Bella wondered if it had been a marriage or not. She heard Edward come back in and as he pulled her into his body and nuzzled into her neck, she asked, "Do you believe that marriage ever really lasts?"

"If two people love each other then yes I do."

"You loved Tanya."

He was quiet for a few minutes and Bella wondered if she'd really upset him. Wiggling out of his grasp, she turned around and saw him staring at her. He shook his head, "She didn't love me. It wasn't reciprocated."

"I'm just...my parents divorce is making me think...maybe it's not possible. Ya know like being in a marriage that matters. Til death do us part."

"My mom and dad are going strong. They've been together for over twenty years."

"Was your mom married before Carlisle?"

" Yes."

Bella watched him carefully as he answered. The quick, harsh tone made her wonder what had happened. "Did you ever meet him?"

"No."

"Will you tell me what happened?" Bella asked quietly, running her finger along his jaw.

"Bella, I don't want to talk about it. Rose doesn't even know about him. I don't_ like_ to talk about it."

"Alright, okay. Calm down." Bella became quiet them, her thoughts now brought her to what she needed to do now. The first thing was to assure Alice she wasn't angry with her. The next was to ask Alice what she thought should be done about Jake. The third was to call and talk to her parents, try to figure out how she really felt about all of this. She couldn't help but wonder, though. What had happened to make Edward dislike a man he'd never met so much? She turned back around, hoping to fall back to sleep.

When she was just about to drift off, Edward sighed and said, "It was a situation the same as Tanya and I but reversed...and I wasn't planned. He didn't want me or my mom but he wanted every other woman in the damn state. I can remember that we invited him to my third birthday and I wasn't supposed to even know but I heard my mom and grandma talking about it. I was so excited...I was going to have a dad. I didn't even want the party, I just wanted to see my dad.

"He never came. I waited for hours after everyone had gone home. To make things better for me, my mom let Rose spend the night. She fell asleep long before I did. When we got up the next morning and after Rose went home, my mom sat me down and apologized. She cried, I cried, and that's when I gave up. I never felt so unwanted in my life. I had my mom, though. She wanted me. I couldn't imagine growing up without either of my parents. Anyway, when my fourth birthday came around, the summer before preschool, Carlisle kind of showed up and never left."

Bella smiled as she watched Edward smile his crooked smile he only did when he was remembering something that made him happy. "A month before my birthday, we were going to get my shots for school and I was terrified. I don't really remember the details but mom said that she caught me and Rose watching a scary movie on tv where they used a needle to see if someone was an alien or not. I immediately assumed that was why I needed the shots. So, the good Dr. Carlisle Cullen—who worked with my mom, was going to give them to me. I was so afraid that I was an alien and that they'd take me from my mom. Anyway, when the needle came out, it took my mom and two nurses to hold me down to give them to me. I was only four years old. That's it. Still, I guess I was really fighting them.

I was bawling. I was that kid you can hear crying from back in the waiting room. The kid who freaks all the other kids out. Carlisle got down to eye level with me and just simply asked why I was scared. I told him I thought no one wanted me because I was an alien," Edward said it quietly and Bella's heart clenched. "I could hear my mom start to cry and when he asked me why I thought no one wanted me. I told him it was because I wasn't good enough for my dad to want me.

"I'll never forget the hug Carlisle gave me after I said that. That's pretty much all I remember of the whole ordeal. According to mom, the company picnic was a week later and Carlisle asked her out then. I was glued to him from that point on. When they got married I started to call him dad. He's been my dad since I can really remember."

Bella didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything, she faced him again and kissed his lips. "I had no idea. Is that why you wouldn't let Kaley go?"

"I didn't want to be that man. The man they always just referred to as 'that man' because he never came around after the divorce. Dad was livid when he found out I dropped out of school and I thought mom was going to have a coronary but I didn't care. I already had my undergrad and found a job that paid well working under a few good lawyers. I knew I could support us on my own. I couldn't take care of Kaley and work all the time and knew the life of a lawyer is rather hectic. So, I left, took the job, and raised my daughter."

"Thank you for telling me your story. I know it hurts but you got an amazing dad out of the deal."

"I did and I never would have had Esme not taken the chance to fall in love. Even after being walked all over, knocked up, and cheated on by her first husband, she risked her heart for my dad. Bella, you can't be thinking of the 'what ifs' all the time. I love you and this time I know it's reciprocated. I won't push you into a deeper relationship than you are ready for but there's also no way in hell I'm going to let you go easily."

"So, hypothetically speaking, you would remarry?"

"Absolutely."

"Do you want anymore kids?"

"Yeah. I'm definitely open to the idea but it's not something that I couldn't live without. I have Kaley."

"I think you should go back to school." Bella blurted it out like word vomit, shocked with herself for saying anything. "I just mean...you said about how much you liked school and I bet you could get grants and things."

"I left because of Kaley and she's still too young for daycare everyday. I know I'm being that obnoxious paranoid parent but I just can't do it. Mom has been off work since about the time of Kaley's first birthday. She was taking care of her mom who had Alzheimers. That's why she watched her all the time but a nurse retired and dad made sure she got the opening. You'll be doing your student teaching full time in the spring. I can't leave her, Bella."

"What about after I'm done?"

"Then, you'll be working full time as an actual teacher."

"No. I won't. I'll be looking for a job and enjoying my summer with Kaley. You can go during the summer and get almost all of your credits. We'll put Kaley in for three days a week at daycare and I'll get a part time job for the times I don't have her."

"This is a seriously huge commitment, Bells. I'll still have to work my job..."

"Let's just see what grant money you can get. Look into it. Some companies pay for employees to go back to school. I'm not trying to push you...this is just one more thing that bitch robbed you of getting to have and it's not fair."

"If she doesn't sign those divorce papers, I'm still going to have to pay to take her to court. School isn't going to happen then."

She couldn't believe what was about to come out of her mouth, "Fuck the divorce. We'll get there eventually but I'm tired of her keeping you from your goals."

"Bells, I want this over. I want you..."

"We have our entire lives together for you to have me. Do this for yourself, Edward."

"Our entire lives? Like a marriage?" he asked with a smirk and she knew he was teasing her about the 'marriages never last' theory she had.

"Yeah. I guess so," Bella yawned.

"Alright, I think you are way tired and you need to sleep before you end up proposing to me. I love you and I'll be here when you wake up," he said, kissing her shoulder beside the strap of her tank top.

Two hours later, Bella's phone went off and she grabbed it off the night stand. Edward was lying beside her, half asleep. She expected it to be Alice but saw that it was Jake and replaced it back on the stand. She so was not in the mood to talk to him. When it went off again, she put it on silent, once again snuggling back into Edward. "I think you should just answer the damn thing. Hear him out."

"I have nothing to say to him."

"I have plenty to say to him..." he muttered.

"See, it's better if neither of us says anything," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

She noticed it was lighting up again. Grinding her teeth, she snatched it off the dresser, and answered it. "What?" she snapped.

"Bells?"

It was Jake and something was really, really wrong. Jake, strong Jake, never cried. She'd only seen it happen once and that was at his mothers...funeral. "What's wrong?" her original annoyance giving way to panic. Edward sat up beside her, obviously concerned by the tone of her voice.

"Quil's dead, Bella," Jake managed before starting to cry.

"What? NO! No. No. This isn't...this can't..." Her own tears were flowing freely now as she began to shake and gasp for breath. "Alice...does Alice know?"

"No. I just found out. Your dad came over and told me. Alice isn't answering her phone either."

" Oh, God."

"I don't...I don't know what to do...I feel so bad about last night. I'm so fucking sorry, Bells."

"I know. I'm on my way. I'm leaving now."

"Where are you? Your mom's new place? I went over to your dad's...he told me to call you..."

"No, I'm back in Forks! Do you know what happened?"

"They think he was drunk. It was a car accident. I really don't know...stop over when you get back."

Bella was aware of Edward's arm wrapped around her but she couldn't talk to him just yet. She had to call her mom before she completely lost it. "Mom?" she asked quietly, feeling like she was five years old again. "Mom, Quil's dead. He's dead..."

She immediately felt Edward's grip tighten around her. Her mom was saying something she couldn't make out, and she felt her stomach churn. She jumped up, dropping the phone, barely making it to the toilet in time.

Edward watched in horror as their happy morning went from happiness to devastation. He had seen her upset before but never quite this bad. He picked up the phone, debating whether to help Bella or talk to her mom. When he heard the retching stop and his sink turn on, he picked up the phone. "Mrs. Swan?"

"Yeah?" she asked, sniffling herself.

"It's Edward. Bella's...sick...can she call you back?"

"Yeah...wait...before you go I wanted to tell you that I think maybe Bella should come back here for the funeral...I know you might feel weird coming but she cares very much about you. You're always welcome here, Edward. You and your little one. Any time."

"Thank you, Mrs. Swan."

"Dear, call me Renee. Now, go try to pull Bella together long enough to discuss coming to visit again. Her father told me that you guys are back in Forks."

"What happened, Renee? Do you know?"

"Not completely but Charlie's down there with the other guys trying to figure it out. I'll be sure everyone knows when we do. I suspect it had something to do with drunk driving...all I know is that it was a car accident. God, I can't imagine what his parents must be going through...I didn't know them as well as we know the Black's but I'm going to make a casserole to take down...you don't need to know all of this. I'm sorry. Just tell Bella we love her and consider a visit. I'd love to see Kaley again."

"Thanks, Renee. I'll talk to her and try my best. I'm sorry for your loss."

Bella sat with her back to the large, marble tub. As she stared at the tiled floor, her knees to her chest, her mind just kind of shut off, like someone flipped a switch and everything had gone dark. Quil had always been kind to her and even though they had drifted apart over the years, every time she was around him, things would always go right back to how they had left off. They weren't super close but with everything...and everyone...falling apart around her, this was the news that broke her.

She could hear Edward's voice in the next room but her head was so clouded that she couldn't focus long enough for her to figure out what was being said. She felt strange knowing that she and Jake no longer had that friendship she'd grown so used to over the years. Quil was almost...if not...Jake's best friend. She should be there for him but he'd made it so she couldn't. Not without hurting Edward. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt the amazing man in the next room. The only thing she wanted was to hold Kaley but she knew that wasn't fair.

The little girl brought her comfort, though. She knew she couldn't just sit with Kaley all day, not when she was this upset, it wouldn't be fair to expose Kaley to how much she was hurting. "Bad day?" Edward asked, sitting down on his bathroom floor beside her.

"Yeah," she mumbled without looking up.

"Your mom would like you to go back for a few days, for the funeral."

"I don't want to go back there."

"Bella..."

"Do you not understand what's happened? In just two days? My parents are splitting. I think Alice thinks I hate her. Jake _does_ hate me. Quil...well..."

"Stop. Right now. I'm not going to sit here and watch you feel sorry for yourself. You need to grieve and I understand that but everything else is fixable. Yeah, your parents are no longer together but they get along and they're happier. All you have to do is call Alice and that problem is solved. Jake... deserves a punch in the face...but his friend just died so I think he'd come around and he doesn't hate you. As for Quil, nothing can fix something like that but maybe there's a reason that it happened. Who knows. I'm not downplaying it but you can't just call it quits on life because you lost a friend. I'm here as your shoulder to cry on, you know that and I also think you know that you need to go home for that funeral. You need closure. That's what funerals are for, family and friends, not the deceased. I've seen a lot of bad things in my time with the department and I know how much it means to families when friends and family are there to grieve right along with them."

"I don't want to be away from you right now. Okay." Bella knew she was sounding bitchy...and completely selfish.

"Bells, I'm right here, love. I will always be here."

"I don't trust myself."

"With what?"

"Jake." Bella wondered if that was true but knew it could help her case to stay with him and not go back to Forks.

"I trust you. Besides, I can go with you. I haven't taken a day off work in awhile. I mean, if you want me there. If not..."

"Please. I hate to ask this but will you?"

"Of course I will. Do you want me to figure out arrangements for Kaley?"

"No. I won't be at the funeral home a whole lot, maybe just an hour or two at the most. I didn't know his family very well but I would like to go for a little while. I'm sure you and Jasper can find something to keep you, him, and Kaley entertained. I really, really just want to spend some time with her right now."

"Alright, then. First things first. You call Alice and I'll call my mom."

When he went to call Esme, Bella went back into the bedroom and dialed Alice's cell. Alice answered on the first ring. "Bella! I was so worried you were mad. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Al, stop. It's fine. Did you hear about Quil?"

"No...why?"

"Ally, he was in a car accident. He didn't...he's gone." There was absolute silence on the other end of the phone. "Alice?"

"I'm...how?"

"I don't know the details yet. We're back in Forks. I had to get away last night. I'm with Edward."

"What about Jake? What happened with you two last night?" Alice asked, curiously. Bella bit her lip, wondering if she should really be talking about this around Edward. Taking a deep breath, she relayed the story.

"Bells, he doesn't hate you. He just loves you and he's really jealous of what you and Edward have. He'll come around."

"He called me this morning, about Quil. My dad told him to call me."

"When are you leaving?"

"I don't know yet. We'll probably be there in the early evening."

"Alright. I have to talk to Jazz. I don't know when we're leaving or what's going on. Bella, were you serious about moving in with Edward?"

"Yeah. I don't want to put you in a bad position, though. If you want me to stay, I'll stay."

"No, it's fine. I was wrong before, Bells. You two were made for each other."

Bella sat on the lip of the marble bath tub and wondered if he would mind that she took a bath there. She knew he wouldn't but it felt weird to ask. When she was just about leave and go shower at her house, Edward came back in. "I can't get a hold of my mom or dad. It's Sunday morning so they are probably in church. I'm just going to pack some things for Kaley and I'm sure they'll call us soon."

"Would you mind...I mean...I could just go home. Never mind."

"What do you need?" he asked gently.

"I was wondering...I sort of want to soak in the bath for a little while."

"Oh, of course. Here, if you want to adjust the water hit this a few times. It's weird once in awhile..." His voice trailed off before he said awkwardly, "Um...just yell if you need me...I mean something...if you need something."

Bella watched him walk out of the room quickly and strangely felt rejected. She had to remind herself that this was Edward being respectful, not unloving. It pained her when she realized how much she needed to have contact with him. It was as if everything could be fixed, like he said, but by him. She had always been independent. Even when she lived with her parents, she pretty much took care of them. Now, she was doing school, keeping her house and Edward's—against his protests everyday when he came home to a spotless house, and taking care of Kaley all day.

In her broken down state, she couldn't help but feel completely dependent. Turning on the water, she couldn't bring herself to undress. Looking down into the water, she sat down on the side of the tub, fully clothed once again. Everything just seemed wrong. The only stable thing she had was the little family she had ended up finding, the same one that she just could not get out of her head. She began to realize that maybe her mother moving out hadn't been the issue with home not feeling like home. This was home. Forks was home. Edward was home.

It took her a few minutes to realize that she had started to cry, well, sobbing really. Edward must have heard because he knocked on the door and asked if she was okay. He sounded conflicted and it made her cry harder. After she couldn't seem to catch her breath to answer him, he eventually peeked in. She looked up at him then, tear-stained, blotchy faced, and puffy eyed. After the strong dose of pity his gaze dealt to her, she watched as he pushed the door open and strode towards her. He reached behind her to shut off the water since the tub was more than full enough before bringing that same arm in to wrap around her back. "You're going to be okay. I know it hurts. I'm sorry, baby. You're going to be fine. You're safe and I'm right here."

His kind words just made her sob harder and all she could manage was a few nods to let him know she was listening. He held her like that for what had to have been ten whole minutes before she felt him reach down and pull off one sock and then the other. Next, his hands moved to the waistband of his old t-shirt she had slept in the night before. She leaned into him as he knelt in front of her, encouraging her to lean forward so he could pull them off of her. He pushed her shoulders back gently before pulling her shirt over her head. She wasn't wearing a bra and she soon felt his fingers move to the elastic on her panties.

He kissed her before reaching down to do what looked to Bella like he was checking the temperature. If that was the case, he was obviously satisfied because he helped her to stand before taking her bridal style into his arms. Lowering her down into the massive tub, he kept up the reassuring words. Bella wasn't listening though and he knew it. He could be telling her the cure for cancer or even disclosing his most embarrassing moment and she wouldn't have even known. She just simply needed to hear his voice, the voice of the man who she could handle anything because of. If he was there, she could survive.

**Sorry, it had to be sad...but at least you got glimpses into Edward's and Alice's backgrounds. This one is a little longer than the rest as a thank you to all of you amazing people! I am in awe of all your support! You make putting all the hours I have to create this story worth it...I do this totally for you and it means the world to me! LP xoxo**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 20**

Once she was comfortably in the water, she watched Edward grab a couple towels from the shelf beside the tub. He lifted her head gently, setting a hand towel behind her neck as a pillow. There were no bubbles or anything shielding her naked body from him but strangely, she didn't feel self-conscious. She felt her muscles begin to relax in the hot water and eventually her mind began to follow. She wasn't numb anymore, she was starting to be feel the tears coming back.

She couldn't exactly say that they were happy tears but they weren't ones of sadness either. She felt comforted and so loved in that moment that she couldn't even describe the feeling. As Edward dipped the washcloth into the water and ran it up her arms, Bella cracked. She had forgotten what it felt like to be the one who was being cared for. She was usually the one to comfort, to soothe. Teaching demanded it of her and Kaley needed it from her. Even Edward had always brought out the caring, attention-giving Bella. Now, the weight of taking care of someone fell on Edward and he was taking it like a champ.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," she whispered. He breathed a few more words of encouragement and she just couldn't resist. Grabbing the sides of his face, she pulled his lips towards hers. It started out soft, little pecks on his lips and cheeks. It turned into something much more desperate. Grabbing the back of his neck, she pulled him so that he was facing her, leaning over the tub. His stubble rubbed against the inside of her wrists and she found herself kissing his jawline, wanting to feel it against her lips. When he made his way down to her neck it sent that familiar sensation to her core.

She cried out, her wet hands digging into the dry wife beater he was wearing. The idea of him being completely clothed and her completely naked, everything right there for him to see with only the warm water as a barrier was more erotic than she ever thought possible. She wanted him and didn't care how.

Edward didn't care that he was getting soaked, he didn't care that he was fully clothed, he just needed to have her. He was aware of the water splashing over the side of the ridiculously large marble tub that had come with the house. He always wondered what the hell he needed a tub this big for and it all made sense now. Sliding his hand down, he traced her thighs until he found her nub and began to rub small circles. His arm was the only thing in reaching distance of her and he saw her hands clawing at the bottom of the tub, they'd only had sex twice but he knew that she always had her hands busy. Finally, as if realizing she couldn't get a good grip on the marble bottom, she grabbed the faucet above her and held on, crying out in the most amazing moan he had ever heard.

The image of her under the warm water, blessedly naked, with her hands above her made him almost come right there on the bathroom floor. He wanted to strip down, lay right on top of her, and give her exactly what he knew she needed. Reminding himself that she wasn't on birth control and sex in water wasn't great for condoms, he grabbed her hands from the faucet and pulled her up out of the tub. She was all too willing to go with him and clung to his body, beginning her kissing assault on him once again. He guided her so that her wet legs were wrapped around his dry torso, afraid that if he set her down she'd slip and fall on the wet tiled floor.

His knees were going weak and he really didn't know if he could make it to the bed himself. He wanted to have her, now. The large vanity counter had a few things on it, bottles of cologne, deodorant, soap...all of it ended up on the floor as he set her down to have a chance to open a drawer that housed the box of condoms. He knew he was going to need both hands to open it and it had made sense to let Bella go but looking at her dripping wet, legs spread in front of him, he knew he had to taste her first. Dropping to his knees he licked up the entire length of her slit and she cried out again, this time, her hands going for his hair. She was already soaked and he lapped up the salty sweet juices. He could feel his over excited friend straining against the elastic of the sweatpants he was wearing every time Bella would cry out. He knew he couldn't last much longer and wanted to be inside of her. Finally getting the focus he needed, he stood and began kissing her again as he carried her to the bed. The condom was in his hand, and when he laid the still wet Bella on his bed, he had to force himself to take the time to use it.

Bella's hands this time found the bars on his headboard and she held on to them, looking up at him. If there was an Olympic event of how quickly you could put a condom on, he was sure he would have broken the record. If that was fast, the rate he forced himself to slow down to when he lined himself up to push into her was turtle speed. He knew she was still ridiculously tight and just like the first two times, was terrified that he'd hurt her. If she had the same fear, he wouldn't have known it. He went to push in slowly and she slammed her hips up to his. This time he cried out her name, feeling her writhe underneath him, still wanting more. He sped up to meet the pace she obviously wanted to set and pulled a wet nipple into his mouth.

Neither of them lasted long. He at least made sure to hold out until he felt her muscles constrict around him, then he let go. He couldn't breathe and as he collapsed on top of her, he was sure she could hear his heart beat the way it was slamming in his chest. "I love you. I love you so much," she was saying, tears falling freely.

It took him a minute to get the words out, his mind not exactly in tune with his body at the moment. "I love you, too. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always going to be right here."

After they had regained their composure, they'd ended up back in the tub—this time together. Bella laughed as Edward splashed water on her and kissed her sloppily when she went to yell at him for it. "We should probably go get the little one. I really miss her."

"She missed you, too. All day yesterday she was doing her little whining noises and asking for you. I used to be the center of her world but now that mommy came along..." he joked with an easy smile.

"Believe me, you are still and always will be the center of her world. Until she finds the love of her life. Then you'll be the center of the world when she comes to visit."

"She's never moving out or having a boyfriend. I'm enlisting her in a nunnery the second I can," he laughed.

"I will not let you do that to our daughter!" Bella realized it was the first time she said 'our' in reference to calling Kaley her daughter. "I didn't mean...she's not actually 'ours' she's 'yours'..."

"She's ours," Edward confirmed without hesitation.

"My daughter. Wow, this is just so weird..."

"Too much?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Just enough. I just don't know how to explain how much I love that little girl. It doesn't even matter that I missed two years of her life. I absolutely love her."

"Good because she absolutely loves you."

"I want to kill Tanya," Bella whispered. "Edward, when you told me what she did, I wanted to track her down and beat the hell out of her. When you first told me something happened with Tanya, I thought maybe she came onto you and I was scared that maybe you gave in...then I heard what really happened and I wanted to kill her."

"Even if she would have come onto me, I never would have let it go anywhere. I know that pain all too well. I'd never, ever put you through that."

"What I said about Jake, about not trusting myself with him? I didn't mean it. I was just upset. He's been trying to get me for a couple years now and I haven't let him yet. Please don't think I would now. I couldn't possibly. Not with you here."

"I know and I trust you. I swore to myself long ago that if I ever felt that I couldn't trust the person I was with, I'd break it off immediately. I can't put myself through that again. I won't do it. I just regret that I wasn't able to get this divorce over with."

"It's no rush. Really. I was just...I guess I was scared that if she really wanted Kaley, you'd fall right back into how things were before with her and I really _would_ be just 'the babysitter'."

"Never. You never really were just 'the babysitter', you know that right? I remember the first day I met you, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Emmett used to get on my case because he thought you were what he considered 'jailbait' and I was infatuated with someone underage."

"Jailbait? Really? Do I really look that young?" Bella cringed.

"Not really but I think it was fun for Emmett to pretend you were."

"I bet you're glad I'm not."

"You have no fucking clue," he said, kissing her shoulder. "We should go get Kaley before you turn all wrinkly and Emmett starts to think I'm being a gravedigger."

A half hour later, they were on the road again, headed for Seattle. It was a bit chilly out but beautiful and sunny. Bella was turned in her seat so that she could watch Kaley, who was sound asleep in her carseat. Edward glanced over often, loving how peaceful she looked and how the sun brought out the natural red tint to her dark hair. At one point, she caught him and returned his gaze with an adoring smile. "Thank you for doing this."

"You're welcome, love. I think your mom is kind of excited to see Kaley anyway."

"My mom said we could stay at her new place but I want to go home to dad's. We'll visit her, though. She gave me her address."

"Are you going to be okay?" Edward asked quietly.

"I'll be fine. It's just a lot to get used to. I mean...if they're happy...right?"

"Yeah." After a little while, he looked back over, "Have you talked to Jake again yet?"

"No. I...I'm going to need to see him, though," Bella said cautiously.

"I know."

"Are you angry about it?"

"I'm not_ happy_ about it but I'd be angry if you didn't let me see Rose. I know he's a friend of yours, it's just hard when you know that some other guy wants you. Not that I can blame him but..."

"I want you. I don't want him. I'm going to come home every night to you. Not him."

"I wanted to punch him when he touched you at the club."

"But you didn't. Besides, I kind of want to as well."

"What happened? After the two of you left?"

"We fought and he basically told me we couldn't be friends if I was with you. So I walked away. I just never expected...what happened last night with Quil...things are different. Everything's different now."

"Were you and Quil close?"

"Not like Jake, Alice and I close but definitely good friends. I just...I don't think it's sunk in yet."

When they arrived at Bella's dad's, they found her father in uniform, sitting at the kitchen table. He wasn't eating or drinking anything and Edward immediately felt uncomfortable. This was a huge tragedy and he really had no reason other than Bella to be there. "Dad?" he heard Bella asked softly as she put an arm around his shoulders. He grabbed her hand and cleared his throat, as if realizing for the first time that they were there.

"Hey, Bells."

Kaley was sleeping on Edward's shoulder and he walked into the living room to set her down and give them some privacy. He tried not to listen but it was hard when the two rooms were connected by nothing but an empty doorway. "...shouldn't have been driving. I guess after you left, they all decided to go back to campus. Billy's a mess right now. Apparently, Jake had told him yesterday that he would ride over with Quil. If he hadn't gone home early, Jake would have been with him. He'd be dead, too..."

Bella wasn't saying anything but Edward heard a chair scrape across the floor. "Jake stopped by looking for you, he told me to tell you to call when you got here. He's really shaken, Bells."

"I know. I talked to him earlier today. I'll call him soon."

"I think he has feelings for you."

Edward had to stop himself from laughing, saying Jake had feelings for Bella was like saying the Sears Tower was tall. "Dad..."

"I just don't know if it was the best idea to bring Edward and his daughter with you..."

"This isn't open for debate, dad. Kaley considers me...and has considered me...her mother for the past almost two months. I love her and Edward and I are moving in together. We're a packaged deal, now."

"Are you serious?" Charlie asked, not in a mean way, he was just curious.

"Yes. Absolutely. I wanted to tell you and mom about all of this but then you dropped that little doozey about the divorce on me."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. We wanted you to tell you in person."

"I don't like it...but I'll deal. If you promise to deal with Edward and Kaley...who I consider my own child."

It took a long time for there to be a response and as Edward watched Kaley sleep beside him, he wondered if Charlie had answered non-verbally. Finally, he heard, "I'll deal. Just...take it easy on Jake, alright? He's a mess right now. Annie's funeral is still fresh in his mind."

"I miss her, too. She was like a second mom. I don't know how Jake handled it when she passed away. I almost couldn't...and she was his mother not mine."

"He had you. Just like you always had him. He needs you again, Bella. This isn't about...crushes or...other things like that...this is about comfort and him needing a friend right now."

Edward sat there in silence, unsure of what to do. Her father knew he was there but he didn't feel right intruding on their little moment. Bella needed to come to an understanding with Charlie and he knew that. He also knew that she needed to work things out with Jake. He'd have to learn to deal with it. Jake was a part of her life and he couldn't stop that. All he could do was trust her.

Twenty minutes later, Kaley woke up and began to fuss because of not knowing where she was. Edward had finally been asked to join Bella and Charlie in the kitchen and he watched Bella stand up when they heard her. Not even a minute later, he watched Bella gently carry her in. "Dad, I'd like you to meet your new little granddaughter, Kaley Ann Cullen."

Edward watched carefully as Bella held her out to Charlie. He knew Charlie wouldn't hurt her but he also didn't know how well Charlie was going to deal with the news of all of this. He took Kaley and bounced her on his knee a little, obviously feeling a little awkward. Edward felt for the guy, he couldn't imagine how he'd feel if years down the road Kaley through a curve ball like this at him. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting Bella to start with the grandparents thing but he understood that in a way, she was using it as a coping mechanism. Everything was changing around her and this was her way of changing. The idea of her becoming his wife was becoming more and more realistic to him.

After visiting with Charlie for about an hour, Bella asked Alice where she was and was told everyone was over at the Black's house. "Do you mind if we go over?" Bella asked quietly and petting Peanut on her lap, as if she was afraid Edward would be upset.

"No. I just...I have to bring Kaley."

"I know we do. It'll be okay."

Edward braced himself for the scene but found it to be harder than he ever could have prepared himself for. He had been surprised when he went to get into the car and Bella shook her head silently, motioning for him to follow. Jake lived in a big, red brick house with flowers on the front porch...three houses away from Bella. She walked them in, not bothering to knock, and Alice immediately came in from a side room and hugged her. He watched them both fight back tears as they held on for about a whole minute. Jasper walked over to him, holding his arms out for Kaley and nodding a quiet hello to Edward. The entire house was eerily quiet.

"Where is he?" Edward heard Bella ask.

"In the kitchen with Embry and Leah. He's not taking things well, Bella. No one has even seen him cry yet. Embry, Leah, hell I think even Jazz let out a few tears. You just kind of have to. Its not healthy to keep emotions in like this."

They followed Alice back and found Jake leaning against the kitchen sink, his entire body looked tense, as if he was trying to control his emotions and was failing miserably. "Jake..." Bella whispered, after nodding to Embry and Leah, who were sitting together and comforting each other.

Jake spun around quickly as soon as he heard Bella's voice. He was shaking a little and Edward saw his lips begin to quiver. Jasper walked with Kaley back into the room they had just come from and he was thankful. God only knew what would happen next. After a few seconds of tension and staring, Bella walked over to Jake, and Edward knew Jake wouldn't have made the first move. He doubted that Jake was able to move very much at all. As soon as Bella reached out to hug him, he pulled her close. The tension that was in his body drained in an instant and his body slumped. "Bells..."

It was a choked out cry, hard for someone to hear, and he watched in sympathy as the man who just the night before had brought out a murderous rage in him hugged Bella. When Bella hugged back, the dam broke. If Edward had ever seen a grown man sob, and in working with the department he had, this was the hardest he'd ever witnessed. As much as he hated the guy, he couldn't help but want to do something to make things easier on him.

"He...I was supposed to be there...I was supposed to be in the car with him..."

"You weren't, though. You're here. Thank God for that Jake, don't blame yourself for something that is a wonderful thing."

"I'm sorry. Oh God, I wasn't me last night. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it, Bells. Twenty two years is too much to walk away from. Time can't erase twenty two years. It never will. I'm...I'm so so sorry..."

"Shh. Don't worry about last night. It's in the past. We're here now and what happened...happened. I love Edward and I really just need you to accept that. Please."

"I will...I mean...I do...it's just hard. It's not him personally, I hated every guy you went out with. I just don't want to see you get hurt. I don't know him and that scares me. I don't want to just get pushed out..."

"Jake, no ones pushing you. Don't just get mad and tell me you don't want to be friends anymore! Tell me you want to hang out...with everyone...get to know him. You just have to give him a chance. He's amazing Jake and someday...I really, really want to be officially part of his family. I need you to be there. I need your blessing. I need...you."

He looked at Edward then, as if he'd be able to gauge if Bella was lying to him by Edward's response. With a small sigh and an even smaller smile, Edward sucked it up and nodded his head in agreement. He wasn't sure what he was nodding a 'yeah' about but it must have appeased Jake because he finally let go of Bella and walked over to him. He held out his hand, tears still fresh in his eyes. Edward took it. "Man, I'm sorry about what happened. If you need anything just ask."

"I need you to take care of Bella. I need you to make sure she's safe. I need you to make her happy. Please, please, don't let her get hurt."

"I will do everything in my power to make sure she's well cared for and loved. I don't want to see her hurt either, Jake."

That night, they all sat around telling stories and drinking beer. After their little exchange in the kitchen that afternoon, things seemed much less tense and Edward was starting to sort of like the guy. The best part with them getting along was that Bella was happy. It was also kind of funny watching Jake interact with Kaley, it was like she was glass and he was afraid he'd break her. At one point, she was walking through the kitchen and Jake jumped up and helped her as she felt back on her butt. Bella was almost as shocked as Edward and sat there gawking at Jake for a near five minutes after.

**I can't believe the reviews and support! I've never been close to 300 and this is just too amazing! I love, love, love, love it! PLEASE keep this up! You have no idea how much it means to me! LOTS of love, the Letzig Princess xxooxxoo**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 21**

Over the next three days, Edward and Kaley bonded with Bella in a way he'd never thought possible. Bella had stepped into the role of being Kaley's mother in such a way that no one even questioned it. While her friends and family had been hesitant at first to agree that Bella was making a good decision in practically becoming a primary caregiver of his daughter, they never really questioned it. Even if they struggled with the idea, there was no denying it.

Her mother had clearly fallen in love with his daughter. The second day they were there, they visited Renee's new home, something he knew was hard for Bella. She took it in stride and when they arrived, Renee was getting ready to bake some thing to send over for the funeral which would be held the next day. Kaley stayed in the kitchen all day as the three of them made casseroles, cookies, and cakes. Edward of course got to taste test everything, which Kaley was pleased as punch to hold out to him when it was cool enough for her to pick up. He'd never seen Bella smile so much that day but knew it was short lived.

He was right. While he and Jasper hung back during the first two hours of the viewing, they played Boggle—because they could let Kaley shake it and think she was playing—and watched some TV. It was nice to spend time with Jasper, he and Emmett had always been closer but he realized it was probably just because Jasper was so quiet. Emmett sort of demanded attention. When they heard a car door shut, they knew the girls were back. Charlie had gone separately, while Bella and Alice went with Renee. Now, when they looked outside, it appeared that they had come back with Jake.

Alice bolted into the house, saying she had to pee but Edward watched as Bella and Jake sat in Jake's vehicle. It didn't look like they were saying anything, just sitting there. Finally, Jake got out and walked around to the side to help Bella out. His heart broke to see her step out on shaky legs, letting Jake lead her up to the front door. Jasper held Kaley and he met them. To Jake's credit, he stepped back and let Edward take over. He guided her towards the couch and she leaned forward as he rubbed her back. Alice came back then and he heard Jake say he'd pick them up in a couple hours to go back. He didn't know if Bella could handle this again.

"Hey, why don't we grab a sandwich and sit outside? It's beautiful out today and I bet Kaley would love to chase Peanut for a little while."

Kaley was standing by the couch now, having been put down so Jasper could hug Alice. She was watching with worried curiosity and Edward wondered if she was going to start to cry. Bella saw her then, too. "I'm sorry, little bug. Come here. I missed you. Did you have fun with daddy?"

Edward waited until Bella had picked her up and started talking to her before heading into the kitchen. Jasper and Alice joined him and he asked Alice if everything went okay. "It was bad, Edward. I mean, it had to be bad and we knew that but..." tears began to form in her eyes and slide down her cheeks, "no one can brace themselves for something like that. Jake had trouble going in, he was sitting outside when we pulled up and it took Bella almost twenty minutes to convince him to go in with her. They both lost it as soon as they were in front of the casket, it seemed that was the breaking point for everyone. We were all dealing with it in our own way until we were right there, looking down at him. Then I think we all realized there was no way to deal with...what happened..."

"Do you think I should try to talk her out of going back later today?"

"Honestly? I think she needs this. She really wasn't that bad, it's just that...Edward I think she's kind of saying her goodbyes to everyone here...in a way. With the divorce, she knows things are never going to be the same here. With Jake, well, she knows things will never the same with him, either. She's making a lot of new transitions in her life. A stable boyfriend, being a mom, graduating from college, and I really think she's going through the phases of accepting she can't be the old Bella. It's not a goodbye forever, just a goodbye to how things used to be. Nothing is more concrete to that idea than the death of a friend. Really, I think you need to let her do her thing."

"I just worry about her..."

Alice bit into a pickle as if deep in thought. "Can I be honest about something else? I think you should come to the actual funeral tomorrow. With her."

"I don't know what to do about Kaley, though. I can't leave her here by herself..."

"She'll be fine. I spoke to our friend, Emily, and she said she was going to bring her little one tomorrow. Kaley is too young to understand what's going on and I think it will be a huge help to Bella to have her there. You two are like life preservers to her right now. She needs you both."

Bella nibbled on the sandwich Edward had made her and wondered how she could have gotten through this mess without him. He was currently trying to get Kaley to eat a part of his sandwich but the little girl was much more interested in Peanut. It had been hard saying goodbye to Quil. The drunk driving accident, which involved only him, left his body mangled to the point that they had to put reinforcements in to fill out his suit. As much as Bella tried to tell herself he was in a better place, she was angry with herself. She constantly wondered what would have happened if Jake hadn't gone home early. While it would have killed her to lose Jake, there was a possibility that Jake would have talked Quil out of driving.

"Mommy," Kaley whined, pulling on her shirt, "daddy no sandwich!"

Bella couldn't contain her laughter, it was something she needed, a little comic relief—and Edward's face was comical if nothing else. "Kaley Ann, don't you start this. If daddy says something, you don't go to mommy and argue it..."

Bella tried to cover her laughter and made an attempt to help him out, "Do what daddy says, Kaley. If he wants you to eat then eat."

This was the first time Kaley had taken the 'if daddys says no ask mommy' route. Pulling Kaley onto her lap, she held out her own sandwich and Kaley immediately took a bite out of it. Edward shook his head and comically took a bit out of his own sandwich, as if to say 'Fine if my sandwich isn't good enough for you, I'll eat it myself!'.

Jake picked them back up at a quarter til five. They were only staying for an hour this time, she was exhausted and really just wanted to spend time with Edward and her daughter. The second round hadn't been as bad as the first, probably because there were even more people and it was less intimate. It was a weekday, so most of them had to work and came for the evening. Bella saw people she barely recognized...and some she knew all too well. Ben and Angela were two of the first to arrive, they came in right behind Alice, Jake and her.

It was also nice to see Mike, Jess, Tyler, and Lauren. To her surprise, Lauren was very obviously pregnant. "Lauren! When are you due?" Bella asked when they were all standing outside, trying to get some fresh air. Lauren had been away at her own college all summer. This was the first time in over a year that Bella saw her.

"Two months. Yeah, he definitely wasn't planned...but we couldn't be more excited. Ty's great with helping out. Most of the time, at least. He's excited to have a son. What have you been up to? Meet anyone new or are you and Jake finally together?"

Bella flushed, Jake was standing right behind her and she wasn't expecting that one. "Um...well...I have met someone new. He's my next door neighbor back at Forks. We...um...we're moving in together and he has a little girl. She's two. Her name's Kaley."

"Aww, that's an adorable name!" Bella relaxed when she listened to Lauren launch into the story of what they were naming their son. Bella had been holding her breath with that bit of information, not wanting to listen to people tell her she was crazy. It was a huge relief to know that it was something that could be accepted.

"Bella, honey, are you ready to go?" her mom asked, coming down the steps with her father in tow. They were all going to go back to the house and have dinner together. Bella loved the fact that this divorce wasn't one that consisted of them hating each other. This was just two people trying to deal with the fact that love might not be there anymore. She thought about what she'd told Esme that night in the nursery when she'd mentioned if you don't have love you have nothing. 'We'd still have Kaley.' Bella realized her parents still had her and both of them wanted to keep it that way.

She knew her mother would be excited to get to be a grandmother so it was her father's attitude that made her proud. He seemed to truly be okay that she was dating someone five years her senior, who had a daughter, and that daughter was calling her mommy. Telling everyone goodbye, they made their way home, Bella, Alice and her mom following Charlie's cruiser. When they pulled up, there was yet one more surprise waiting. This time, Bella couldn't have been happier for it. Sitting on a porch swing, rocking her daughter, was Rosalie with Emmett at their side.

She had no idea what brought them there, no idea who they were there to support, but Bella reveled in the fact that they were. "Who's that, Bella?" Renee asked, squinting at the porch.

"Rosalie and Emmett. They're really close friends of Edward's."

They walked up to them and Kaley jumped down off of Rose's lap to run over to her. "Mommy!" Kaley yelled, giggling and squealing.

"Hey, baby. Who came to visit you, huh?"

"Sorry, Bella. We probably should have called first. It's just that Jasper called Emmett and told him what happened and I just had to do something. We brought dinner for everyone. Fried chicken, potatoes, corn, bread...it's all in the house."

"You didn't have to do that, Rosalie, but thank you so much. It means a lot. Really."

"I also talked to Edward. He said he wanted to go to the funeral with you tomorrow. I'll keep Kaley with me until the two of you are done there."

Bella couldn't control her gratitude and she hugged Rose with the arm that wasn't around Kaley. "Thank you...just...thank you. Rose, this is my mom, Renee. Mom, this is Rosalie and Emmett."

"It's nice meeting you both. Really, you didn't need to cook for us..."

"I wanted to. Come on, it should be ready. Edward's heating it up in the kitchen."

After they ate and were all stuffed, Edward watched Bella take Kaley up to put her down for a little nap. When she didn't come back down, he'd gone upstairs to see what was wrong and found them curled up together, both sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile as he leaned against the door frame and watched them. Charlie must have just gotten home because he was still in uniform as he came upstairs. He nodded a hello to Edward, heading past him, when he looked in at what Edward was smiling at.

Both men watched them sleep and after what had to be a whole minute, Charlie cleared his voice and said, "Bella's quite a girl, isn't she?"

Edward tried to come up with something mature to say but all he could think is exactly what was said, "I love her, Charlie."

"I know, I know," he sighed but with a smile, "are you considering marrying her?"

Edward was caught off guard. "I...uh...I mean..."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to put you on the spot but if you're living together and raising your daughter together..."

Edward motioned him away from the room, not wanting Bella to hear. "I would love to marry your daughter and if it were up to me, I would have asked her already. There's a problem, though. Bella already knows about it and I think you're going to hate me for this but...sir...I'm married."

"Excuse me?" Charlie asked, and Edward got the feeling that castration might be something he should be concerned about.

"It's Kaley's mother. I haven't been with her since before Kaley was born and she no longer has any contact with Kaley. I'm fighting with her to sign the divorce papers and I love Bella so much, Charlie. I get that you're upset but please don't try to keep us apart. I'm a dad, too and I know you probably want to strangle me."

"Bella knows?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. She wants me to finish law school before I take Tanya to court. It's expensive and I'm worried about Tanya coming back at me for money."

"Law school?"

"Yeah. I only had one more semester to go when Kaley came along. I quit to take care of her on my own, Tanya's never really been in the picture."

Charlie seemed to be in thought for a few minutes before saying, "Bella's my little girl and I will do whatever it takes to protect her."

"Well, sir, Kaley's mine and I would never have let her consider Bella her mother if I didn't have full confidence that someday Bella would legally_ be_ her mother. I wouldn't imagine hurting Kaley by hurting Bella and making her leave."

"For what it's worth, I'm not going to give you my blessings to marry her. I want her to finish school and you have to wait until the divorce is official anyway."

"I understand. I was definitely going to wait until she finishes school either way."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I'm figuring it out."

The funeral was rough. Edward watched from Bella's side as they buried Quil. From the funeral home to the cemetery and back, he rode in Jasper's car. Bella sat between him and Jake and while at the cemetery, neither of them left her side. While Jake wouldn't admit it, he was taking it harder than her. Edward truly felt bad for the guy and he hated that it took these circumstances to get it together enough for each of them to still have a part in Bella's life. Edward wasn't naive, though. He was well aware that bets were probably off after the funeral.

After a dinner where no one seemed to be hungry just having buried their twenty-one year old loved one, they went home to Kaley. Bella held her and seemed to take comfort in just having her there. Rose and Emmett helped pack Kaley's things up while Bella's mom and dad said goodbye to them. Even Jake waited at Charlie's to see them off. Alice and Jasper had gone back to the Brandon's to collect their things. Everyone arrived back in Forks by nightfall, totally emotionally drained.

The first sign Bella wasn't in her right mind was when she almost left Peanut at her dad's. The next he noticed when they got back to his house and she put Kaley's diaper on backwards. The last thing that happened that night, making him decide to take the next day off work as well, is after Kaley was tucked in, Bella pulled a bottle of Tequila out of the liquor cabinet—one that was locked and up too high for Kaley to get into—and poured herself a glass...and then another...and another. By the time she was done, half the bottle was done as well, and she was sitting at the kitchen table while she sobbed.

Edward let her go, knowing this was her way of dealing with everything, though trying his best to keep an eye on her. He prayed there wouldn't be a call tonight, there was no way he could leave Kaley with her—he didn't think she'd ever intentionally hurt her but she was very obviously drunk. Finally, at midnight, he'd had enough. "Bella, come to bed. We'll go get your things from next door tomorrow. Please, come to bed."

She went to reach for the bottle again and he pulled it away, sticking the bottle back in the cabinet and locking it. Just like he did with Kaley, he hid the key from Bella. When she stood up, her entire body swayed and he grabbed her before she could fall. "I'm drunk," she slurred, leaning into him.

"I know. Come on..."

"I'm sick..."

"What...oh..." Edward grabbed the kitchen garbage just in time to put it in front of her and throw her hair behind her shoulders. Ten seconds later, the half a bottle of Tequila reappeared. He eventually got her to bed and with the alcohol and the exhaustion, they both pretty much passed out until the next morning.

Bella woke up with a pounding headache, fully clothed in yesterdays outfit, and breath that made her want to gag. She remembered the night before and felt ashamed. She was more mature than to think she could drink her problems away. In fact, usually alcohol was something she avoided. After that first glass though, she just decided to keep going and it had gotten easier to pour with every sip.

Once again Edward wasn't there and she saw that it was after ten. Dread flooded her as she jumped out of bed, only to be met with her turning stomach. Forcing down whatever was left in there, she made her way quickly to Kaley's room. The little girl was gone. _Oh, no. Oh my, God. I should have been up watching her! Why the hell didn't Edward wake me up before he left? _In full panic mode, Bella sprinted to the front door, flinging it open. When she saw Edward's car was there, she relaxed minutely, running back into the kitchen. She grabbed the phone off the hook and dialed Edward's cell. "Edward, Edward..." she was having trouble forming sentences and soon heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Bella? What is it? What's wrong? Talk to me."

Bella felt relief rush over her when she saw him hit the top step. "I thought I was supposed to be watching Kaley and I couldn't find her..."

"It's Thursday. I took her to daycare."

"Why aren't you at work?"

"I knew you contacted everyone before we left Forks, including the school, and I figured you'd need some free time. I knew you had the day off, I just didn't want to leave you yet."

"I'm sorry about last night. I don't know why...it was stupid and..."

"You were fine. I was keeping an eye on you and you threw it all up anyway," he said with a smirk.

"Great..."

"Come here," he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her, "I love you and you're fine. We all do stupid things once in awhile. It's quite normal."

"So, do you think maybe we could move me in today? Alice seems fine with everything. If we're both off and don't have Kaley, it's probably a good idea."

After breakfast, they made their way over to the house and were surprised to find Jasper already there. "Hey man, what's up?" Edward asked.

"I'm...um...I think I'm moving in..."

Bella burst out in laughter. "That didn't take long..."

Alice came flitting in with a big smile. "I found a new roommate!"

"We heard," laughed Edward. "You sure about this, Al? He kind of smells..." Jasper shook his head and flipped him off.

"Alright, play nice, boys," Bella laughed and headed upstairs to figure out what needed to be taken. According to Alice, Jasper had taken off the week for the funeral since he had a week of vacation to use. Alice decided she wanted to take the week just like him and Bella. Poor Edward was the only one who would have to go back to work the next day.

The girls made the boys climb up into the attic where just a few weeks ago, they had packed away all of their boxes from the move. As boxes were packed, pizza was ordered. Most of the house stuff, like pots and pans, were Alice's from last semester so all Bella really had to worry about was her personal stuff like clothes and books. They had pretty much everything over at Edward's before the pizza arrived and after they ate, they said their thank-you's and headed home.

It felt weird to Bella unpacking her boxes and stowing her panties in a man's bedroom. A man who would eventually, hopefully become her husband. A man who was currently watching with sincere interest. Turning around quickly, Bella raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at, Cullen?"

Looking like a kid caught stealing cookies, Edward smirked. "Just checking out those little pieces of material that are made to do nothing more than get in my way."

"Oh, really? I've found them to be rather removable." Smiling, she walked over to the bed where he was sitting and nipped his ear with her teeth.

"I don't know...we might have to put your theory to the test."

Laughing, Bella pushed him back on the bed and kissed from his jaw down to the neckline of his t-shirt. He returned the kiss, moaning as her hand worked itself into his jeans. "So," Bella asked, cupping his balls and looking up at him playfully, "are those condoms from two years ago or were they bought after you met me?"

"Which answer is going to let me keep my ability to reproduce again?" he asked and Bella laughed at how worried he looked.

"I'm not going to be mad. I just don't know that condoms from two years ago is such a good idea..." she was cut off by the ringing house phone.

"Let the machine get it," Edward said, about to answer her question. One ring later, the answering machine did pick up. It was Rosalie and she sounded like she really needed him to pick up the phone.

Cursing under his breath, he kissed Bella once more and grabbed his cell phone, which was closer, to call her back. He put her on speaker so he could lie back down beside Bella, figuring she was just fighting with Emmett over something stupid again and needed to vent. "Rose, you called?"

"I need you to take Emmett out tonight. I don't care where you go, I just need some alone time."

"What did he do now?" Edward sighed.

"Nothing...well...I guess not _nothing_..."

"Rose, hon, are you okay?" he asked, suddenly worrying over the desperate tone in her voice.

"No...I don't think I am..." Bella listened as she started to cry and Edward sat up again, suddenly alert.

"Did he do something? Rose, did he hurt you?" Bella had trouble believing that the gentle giant that is Emmett McCarty would hurt his wife.

"No...it's not like that. I just need to do something...and I need time to talk to your mom..."

"My mom? Rose, look I'll take Emmett if you swear to me you aren't dying or something like that..."

"I'm not...you can't fix this, though. Not this time."

"Rose..." his tone was becoming more of a lecturing voice than a concerned one.

"Don't take that tone with me, Cullen. I was the first person you called when..." her sentence ended abruptly and Bella watched, confused, as Edward's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit!" Edward said, his tone surprised but he was smiling. Bella felt like she was in the Twilight Zone...or she was on a game show where everyone knew the word and she had to find clues to figure it out. She looked back and forth between the phone and Edward, like a tennis spectator.

**You all rock my world...I seriously hope you realize that! By the way, before I forget, the real life Kaley wants me to say 'hello' to the people on the 'clicky thing' aka my netbook. I am sooo excited that you all enjoy this story so much! You melt my heart! LP xoxo PS I love all of your suggestions about Leah and Jake, the only thing some people missed was she is Embry's girlfriend not Quil's...which could cause some problems...lol Either way, your enthusiasm was appreciated :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 22**

"Edward, I swear to God if you tell him..."

"I won't. I promise. Why aren't _you_ telling him, though? I mean I get why I called you first...my marriage was over."

Bella immediately knew what was going on. Rosalie was pregnant. "He can't know because then this is real. I'm not ready for this to be real yet..."

"Rose, why not? You and Em are an amazing married couple."

"That doesn't mean we'll be amazing parents."

"You helped me raise Kaley. I seriously would have had to drop her off at an orphanage a few times were it not for you and my mom."

"That's not true..." Rose said with a small laugh. Bella was starting to feel uncomfortable, like she was eavesdropping on a conversation Rosalie wouldn't want her to hear.

"Okay, so maybe not, but I couldn't have done this without you."

"I guess it's not I _can't_ do this without you anymore, is it? I'm not her, Edward. I can't just step into the role as mommy. I don't know what I'm doing. Not really. I was just as scared as you were when we brought Kaley home. Now, I have to do this all over again. Edward, he doesn't even want kids. What am I supposed to do if he leaves me?"

"Alright. First, Emmett loves you. Second, he's just a big kid himself..."

"So not helping!"

"...who loves kids and I'm sure when he realizes he's going to be a father, he'll instantly warm up to the idea. Trust me, Em loves you. Besides, you two should have been using protection if you didn't want a baby..."

"Oh, spare me the lecture," she laughed. "That's another thing, I'm afraid to tell my dad. He's running for re-election this year and is already insanely stressed...I wish my mom were here..."

"I know but you have Emmett. I'm serious, you have nothing to worry about! Just tell him!"

"I'm going to visit your mom this evening. Why don't we all have supper there? I'd say we could order pizza but I know if I mention it, she'll be offended that 'this rare opportunity to have us together is going to be wasted with ordered pizza.'" Bella tried not to let Rosalie hear her laugh at the spot on impression of Esme.

"Alright. Do you want me to call her or you? I'll just leave from there with Emmett then."

"I'll call. Thanks, bud. I feel like we haven't really talked in forever."

"I know. I was thinking the same thing when you showed up in Seattle."

"Well, I'll see you for dinner tonight. Tell little miss lovely I love her. Oh, and tell Bella I said hi...I hope she can make it tonight."

When he hung up the phone, Bella was looking at him like she didn't know what to say. Finally she smacked him lightly on the forearm. "Why would you put her on speaker? She probably didn't want me to hear that and..."

"I knew you would feel that way and not say anything about being on the phone. I want you to see that you have nothing to worry about where me and Rosalie are concerned. I would never tell her something that I couldn't tell you about telling her...if that makes sense..."

"Surprisingly, it does. Thank you. Does she really think taking on the mommy role was that easy for me, though?"

"I think she's just upset. I didn't want to tell her but I do know that Emmett has said on numerous occasions that he doesn't want to be a father. She knew that when she married him."

"I don't see why they weren't more careful then."

"Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it just happens," Edward laughed, snuggling up to Bella after turning off his cell. "By the way, the condoms were bought after Tanya but before you. There were a few one nighters in between. I'm not proud of it but it happened."

"So, they aren't like...expired..."

"No," Edward said laughing.

"How long until we have to go pick up Kaley?"

"Ten minutes."

"Willing to test that theory, Cullen?"

Three hours later, they were all gathered around Esme's dinner table while Carlisle looked like he was afraid to touch anything. Edward could remember Esme shooing Carlisle out of the kitchen ever since they started dating after he tried to tell her his way of cooking toasted cheese. While other wives complained their husbands wouldn't help them, Esme complained that Carlisle tried. Seafood alfredo was on the menu tonight and Kaley was given her own little dish of strained noodles and boiled shrimp. Everyone was talking over each other, chowing down like normal, but Bella couldn't help but feel like she knew something that was none of her business. Edward and Rosalie didn't let on that anything was out of the norm and Bella could tell they were good at keeping each other's secrets.

She intended to stay back with Kaley, having volunteered and rolled her eyes as Edward hinted about it. She had looked at him and said, "For God's sake, Edward, the child calls me mommy. You don't have to ask my permission. If you feel you do, then just ask. I don't bite."

"Much..." had been Edward's reply as he thought about that afternoon before they picked Kaley up.

Now, plates were being pushed aside and the typical milk and water—which Esme would never serve anything else during the actual meal time—was being exchanged for coffee, wine, and beer. Edward quickly spoke up. "Hey, Em, it's nice enough and still light out. What do you say we head to the driving range? Dad, do you want to join us?"

"Yes..." Carlisle said, looking slightly relieved. Edward was now sure that his mom had driven the poor guy nuts before they had all gotten there. Being the man that he was, though, he asked Esme, "Darling, do you mind if I go?"

"No...have fun!"

"So, Em, what do you say?" Edward asked, a little pushier this time.

"Sure..." Emmett replied hesitantly, looking back and forth between Edward and Bella.

"How are you getting home?" Edward asked Bella. "Do you need me to drop you off on the way?"

"I can take her," Rose spoke up quickly. "Just leave the car seat beside my car. I'll get them home."

Bella was completely shocked. Rosalie actually wanted her to stay and hear what was going on. She trusted Bella. "Alright, I'll call you when we're on our way home in case you're still here. Have fun, ladies," Edward called after he kissed both her and Kaley.

The door shut seconds later and Rosalie smiled, "I can't believe how happy he is right now, Bella."

"I know and Kaley, too," Esme added.

"And me three," Bella said, unable to contain a smile.

"You know, I didn't think he was going to bounce back from Tanya. I thought he would raise that little girl on his own for the rest of his life...until she was old enough at least to move out. I worry about him. He's always gone above and beyond to help others but when it comes to himself...he constantly cuts himself down..."

"Momma, I go outside," Kaley interrupted, kicking her feet in her high chair.

"Why don't we go out back," suggest Rose. "Kaley can play and we can talk. I have something I want to tell the two of you. In confidence."

"Sure! I'll grab the wine! Carlisle and I visited this orchard not long ago and it's so, so good! You're going to love it!"

"Actually...Esme...I'm going to be driving Kaley. I'll pass..."

Bella picked Kaley up and got her cleaned up. She wasn't paying attention to what the two were saying but after about thirty seconds of neither woman responding in any way, Bella turned to see what was going on. Esme was starting at Rose, hand on her mouth, and Rose was crying. Just like that, the secret was out. Esme Cullen was_ that _good.

"Aunt Wose! No cwy!" Kaley ran over, reaching for Rosalie and asking to be held.

"Kaley, honey, it's okay," Bella said, trying to get Kaley to leave Rosalie alone.

"It's fine, Bella. She's fine. Come here, Kaley bug."

"How far along are you?" Esme asked, a huge smile on her face.

"About a month or so. I haven't told Emmett yet. Esme, we weren't trying. He doesn't want kids."

"But Edward knows," Esme nodded knowingly.

"Yeah."

"You two...always knowing everything about the other. You'd swear you were twins."

"Well, I needed him to get Emmett out of my hair so I can figure out what to do."

"Honey, I'm going to tell you what you're _going_ to do. We are going to stay here and relax until they come back. You are going to tell Emmett, in private, and we will all be here to back you up. Edward won't let him go postal. Then, we are promptly going to start planning a shower and figure out how to tell your father. Did you make an appointment yet?" With that, the plan was set, and they moved on to discussing everything from the weekend of hell Bella had just endured to what Rose and Emmett's wedding was like.

Bella loved Esme and there was no way anyone could ever not like the woman. She was always poised, in control, and it made Bella a little nervous that she herself wouldn't be able to be that way for Kaley. Esme Cullen was the mother of all mothers. There was still one thing Bella wanted to get Rose on her own for, though. So, when Esme went to call Carlisle and tell the guys to come back there when they were finished, she lowered her voice so Kaley couldn't hear and asked, "So, you have an appointment with the doctor. Is it someone who see regularly?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you like this person? Like, do you think they're good?" Bella was starting to have doubts about asking these questions to Rose but if Rose trusted her she really didn't have any other options. Alice wasn't familiar with doctors around here and there was no way in hell she was going to Esme with this one.

"Oh my, God! He didn't freaking tell me! You, too!"

"What..." Bella's eyes got huge when she realized what Rosalie thought. "Oh...no...no. I'm thinking about going on birth control. I'm not pregnant!"

"Oh," Rose started laughing. "I'm sorry. I just...hormones...we'll blame it on hormones. I'll give you the name and number for my doctor before we leave tonight. Wow, I could only imagine Emmett and Edward going through that together...hilarious."

"Yeah. Hilarious." Bella said, not so sure how funny it would be to end up pregnant right now. She had so much stress going on, it wouldn't even be safe to carry a baby at the moment. Although, the more she thought about it, the more intriguing the idea became.

Edward had spent the entire evening dodging Emmett's suspicious looks. Finally, when they were heading back, he asked, "Dude, if you and Bella are having problems you could just say so. I mean, I know it's difficult when you first move in with someone..."

"Em," Edward sighed, "I really just don't want to talk about it. It's nothing to do with Bella."

"Sure. I understand. You don't want to talk about it...I'm here for you. You know that, right? I mean, I know you and Rose are closer but if you need someone to grab a beer with...or..."

"Emmett. It's not about Bella and I!"

To Edward's relief, they pulled up to the house and found the girls in the living room watching Max and Ruby with Kaley. As was normal, Kaley shouted 'daddy' to announce to everyone that he'd entered the room. He picked her up and kissed her cheek before leaning over to kiss Bella. Emmett came over and after saying hello to Rosalie, Edward watched Emmett hug Bella when she stood up. "Em...what are you..." Bella tried to ask, looking like the air was being squeezed out of her lungs.

"Bella, I know Edward may be difficult sometimes but he loves you and don't give up..."

Bella was too shocked to pull away. She stood there with her mouth open, raising an eyebrow at Edward—who was giving her a go-along-with-it smile. "Alright, Em. Thanks for that...advice."

Rosalie cleared her throat and he finally let go of Bella. "Em, can you help me with something in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Ready, Bells? We need to get Kaley into bed..."

As soon as Emmett and Rosalie left, Bella interrupted him. "She's telling him. Just wait until we see his reaction."

"She's telling him now? Have you all lost your mind? He's going to know that everyone knows but him!"

"Um...I don't think I know..." Carlisle put in, shaking his head in confusion.

"You're pregnant?" they heard Emmett's loud voice ask from the kitchen.

"Oh. Yeah, I didn't know that," Carlisle confirmed as Emmett and Rose came back into the room.

"You knew! You fucking knew this whole damn time!" Emmett yelled at Edward.

"Hey. Kaley's here. Watch the language." Edward said, cautiously.

"I've got her," Esme said, grabbing Kaley up at once and heading upstairs with her.

"Listen, Em, she called because she needed time to talk to my mom and calm herself down. She was afraid to tell you..."

"Of course, so she calls Edward. The shining fucking white night!"

"Emmett." Rosalie's voice demanded his attention. She was pissed.

"How could you tell everyone before you told me? How? That's my baby!"

"I didn't know," supplied Carlisle again.

"Emmett, calm down, man..." Edward said, getting Emmett's full attention again. "I know you're nervous. I was too. She was afraid you'd get mad at her and leave. You are mad. Don't leave." Edward said it like it was the most obvious plan there could be.

"I wouldn't. I love her." Turning to Rosalie, he walked over and grabbed her hands. "I love you. I love you no matter what. Why wouldn't you just tell me?"

"You said you didn't want kids, Em. You say it all the time."

"I wasn't planning to have kids but it's happening, right? I'm not just going to walk out."

"I'm sorry, Em. I guess I'm just scared in general and I didn't know if I could do this with you let alone without you."

"Um...as much as I love you all, I think my wife and I should finish this discussion at home. I'm sorry I got pissed at you, man."

Edward relaxed a little, Emmett was the last person he would want to have on his bad side. "No worries. I'll see you around."

"Oh, here, Bella. Let me know if you need anything else. I get where you're coming from." Edward watched her scribble something down and hand the paper to Bella. He ran upstairs to get Kaley, suddenly feeling very tired.

The next morning, Edward went to grab his car keys which were sitting by Bella's purse on the table. A little slip of white paper sat almost on top of it, the whole thing clear for him to read. "Dr. Bettina. OB/GYN." There was a number on the bottom of the paper. His thoughts began running wild and he tried to remember what Rosalie had said to Bella after giving the paper to her. Something about understanding her...his stomach started to turn...was Bella pregnant?

**YAY! I hit 300 reviews! This is HUGE for me! Thank you so, so, so much! I want to send a big welcome to all the new readers I've been getting as well as a hi to the ones who've been around. I love you all! LP xoxo**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 23**

For the first time in days, Bella and Kaley had the house to themselves. They lounged around, both tired from the late night. Around lunchtime, Bella had enough of her pajamas and she let Kaley pick out both of their outfits for the day. Of course, Bella had a lot of say in it. Both dressed and almost ready to go out to play, Kaley stopped and ran for the bathroom. Bella followed and watched as she stood there and obviously wet her diaper. Kaley then walked out of the bathroom to stand by Bella again.

"Bug, why don't you just tell mommy when you need to go? I can help you go on your little potty. You wouldn't have to wear anymore wet diapers."

Bella knew most two year olds struggled with potty training but Kaley was obviously able to tell when she had to go. While teaching the ABC's came naturally, she didn't know much about how to get a two year old out of diapers. She did what any self respecting parent did when they didn't know what to do. She Googled it.

After changing the wet diaper and plopping down with Kaley on her lap in Edward's office, Bella ran a search for potty training ideas. While some were ridiculous and border line child cruelty, she found a few ideas that could possibly work. "Alright, little bug, let's go do some shopping."

Alice was out with Jasper, though she would have been the first person Bella would normally call otherwise. Shopping had never been her forte but Kaley didn't seem to mind. With the money Edward had given her for clothes, Bella and Kaley invaded the baby section of a local store. They bought three boxes of pull-ups and Bella found something she knew Kaley would love, whole packs of Disney princess underwear—so she bought four of them. Her next stop was the bathroom section where she got packs of flushable wipes, and foaming hand soap. Kaley watched from the cart as Bella loaded everything in and went to check out.

Once home, she got to work. The first thing she did was show Kaley the training potty—which Edward already had. Next, she showed her the new underwear, which Kaley immediately begged her to open. She sat down with her on the floor in the bathroom. "Kal's, listen up, little bug. These underwear are very, very special. See how they have princess's on them? Well, you can only wear them after you wear this for a little while. Bella showed her the pullups next. They're just like diapers but if you can keep them dry after so long, daddy and mommy will give you these big girl underwear. Okay?"

Bella laughed as she nodded enthusiastically. Standing up and walking over the potty Bella said, "Alright, come this way. Here's your potty. Daddy would be so excited if you use this instead of your pull ups. If you have to go, come get one of us and we'll help you. Then you can use one of these wipes and some...look at this...foaming soap. So, can you tell us when you have to go, Kaley? Then you can have fun with all of this stuff?"

"Uh-huh!" Kaley said, clapping her hands.

"Alright, daddy should be home soon. Do you want to put your pull ups on and show him what a big girl you are?"

Edward had been thinking a lot all day long. He tried to think back over conversations he'd had with Bella, wondering if she had been hinting at it when she brought up the condoms. _Were they expired? Do condoms expire? _Guilt began eating him alive. She didn't want a baby right now. He should have been more careful. He had just thrust his daughter on her and now a new one might be coming. _Might. Might being the key word, Cullen. _He knew there were plenty of other reasons women went to that particular doctor but then he worried something else was wrong.

Needless to say, his first day back, he hardly got anything done. The idea of holding a little baby again...and it being his...was overwhelming, exhilarating, and terrifying all at the same time. He could imagine what Bella's baby would be like. He wondered if he or she would be stubborn the way Bella could be and what Bella would look like carrying his child. He knew she'd no doubt be beautiful and he found himself daydreaming again.

During the drive home he found himself torn between keeping himself in the dark or just coming out and asking her. If she was, he had a right to know but there was also the fact that she was obviously not telling him for a reason. By the time he got home, he was a big ball of confusion. Bella and Kaley were waiting for him inside, coloring pictures of pumpkins. He found himself looking at her stomach, as if he could tell that she was possibly less than one month pregnant.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, bug, did you have fun with mommy while I was gone? What are you making?"

"Puckins!"

"Wow," he said, putting her back in her seat and kissing Bella. "Did you miss daddy while he was at work?"

Laughing, Bella shook her head. "No. Not really."

"I'm hurt..." he replied playfully. Bella stood up and kissed him full on the lips.

"Of course I missed you. What kind of question is that?" Kaley laid her head down on the table and rubbed her eyes. "Nap time didn't happen today. We went out and did some shopping. It was too late until we got back so I'm thinking she'll have an early bedtime tonight."

"Buy anything fun?"

"Follow me and I'll show you."

Bella led him into the bathroom, showing him everything. "I really think that with some practice she can be ready for this. She seems excited enough, I just had to...bribe...her a little."

"Whatever works, love. I've kind of been freaking out about this part of parenthood..."

"We've got this, Cullen." Bella said before turning to leave the bathroom.

Later on while they were eating, Bella said, "I have a doctors appointment Wednesday at lunchtime. I figure that day would be best since Kaley is at daycare anyway."

Edward watched her, looking for clues as to why she was going to the doctor. She wasn't letting on that she was pregnant. "Um...should I take off?"

"Kal's is going to be at daycare..."

"I just wondered...if maybe...ya know...I should be there or something..."

"No. I'll probably end up having a super late lunch and not be hungry for supper so you two can eat what you want. I'll have something ready for you before night class."

"You shouldn't be skipping meals," Edward commented.

Bella cocked an eyebrow, "Edward, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Oookay. Anyway, I was thinking of making steak for you since I won't be eating it anyway. I have a recipe for bourbon steak. It's delicious."

"Alcohol? In the food?"

"It cooks out, besides, Kaley probably won't eat steak. I'd make her something different..."

"You won't eat it? Any of it?" It was as if he was verifying that he had correct information.

Finally, Bella set her fork down completely and looked at him like he was nuts. "Seriously, what's up with you?"

Edward looked at her and finally gave in. It wasn't like it was something he would never find out about if it was true. "I found the number for the OB that Rosalie gave you."

"Well, that's who I'm going to see. What does it matter?"

"I missed out on...things...with Kaley..."

"What..." Bella looked at Kaley, who was finished with her dinner and playing with her fork. "Kaley, honey, go play."

Edward watched Bella unstrap her and clean her up before setting her down. Obediently, the little girl took off for the playroom downstairs and Bella turned back to Edward. "What the hell does Kaley have to do with this? Oh. Oh...no...it's not what you're thinking! Edward, if we were going to have a baby you would be invited to every appointment. Hell, if you really want to, you can come with me this time but I'm afraid it would just be awkward for everyone. I'm going so I can get on some type of birth control."

Edward felt like an idiot. "Bella, I'm sorry. I guess I just jumped to conclusions.

To his surprise, Bella was laughing hysterically, almost falling out of her chair. Getting serious now, she quieted down and held his hand on the table. "Babe, I love you but I think you worry too much. I'm not ready for a baby. Not right now. In the future, I would love the idea but I just can't handle that responsibility right now. You look sad...is this something that you wanted?"

"No and yes. I mean I feel the same way you do, I have my hands full now but I was kind of warming up to the idea."

"Someday..."

"I gotta pee!" Kaley cried from the top of the steps.

It was Edward's turn to laugh, "Alright, come on..."

Later that night, they had tucked Kaley into bed for the evening and went into the living room to watch a movie. It was nine o'clock on a Friday night and Bella was happy to just be home in her pajamas. When the movie was finished, Bella tried to get Edward to come to bed but he refused. "I'm just going to clean up a little. Go to bed. I'll be careful so I don't wake you or Kaley."

"Edward, it's after eleven. Come on. Cleaning can wait." Absently, she wondered what the hell he had to clean so badly. The house was spotless, she had made sure of it.

"Bells, really, I don't want to sleep right now."

"Fine. I'm heading to bed, then...alone," she pouted.

"I'll go back with you until you fall asleep," he offered.

"That sounds like something you'd say to Kaley. Goodnight." Bella couldn't help but be a little annoyed with him. She had been home all day with no one for company but a two year old. The only other adult she really talked to was the cashier at the store. After pausing briefly to see if he'd get the hint that she was angry, she went back to bed alone.

The next day, he had things to do at the station and she was once again on her own. The night before he told her that James called and wanted to make sure he remembered they had ice and water rescue training that next weekend. The guys would be gone from Saturday morning until Sunday night. She was thinking about asking him if she could take Kaley up to Seattle for the weekend, figuring he wouldn't be home with them anyway. She really hoped they could spend some time together soon, she was tired of being alone so much.

Alice was working on some big project due before fall break and Bella really didn't feel close enough to Rosalie to ask her to do anything. So, she and Kaley headed to the park and went for ice cream. The night before, she knew it had to have been after two that Edward came to bed and he had gotten back up at five thirty. She tried to remember the last time he slept all night and couldn't. It wasn't healthy and she was beginning to worry about him.

To her surprise, there was an unfamiliar car parked outside of the house. The problem wasn't really the car, though. It was the person sitting on the front steps of the porch. Bella's stomach turned and Kaley held on tighter to her. "What are you doing here? You have no right."

"This was my house, sweetie, and she _is_ my daughter." Tanya Denali said with a sickly, sweet smile.

Bella didn't know what to do. Looking back and forth between Tanya and Kaley, Bella pushed past her and opened the front door. "Kal, go play in your room. Don't come out until I tell you." To Bella's surprise, Kaley went without protest."She _was_ for about thirty seconds after you had her. You gave her up, remember?"

"Where is he?" Tanya asked, ignoring her question and getting to the point.

"That's none of your business."

Tanya snorted, "Wow, he so has you wrapped around his finger. You don't really know where he is, do you? You just stay home all day long taking care of Kaley while he's out doing...God knows what..."

"You need to leave or I'm calling the cops," Bella said, holding her head up high.

"And tell them what exactly? I'm still married to the man who lives here. Hell, my name is probably still on the deed. I could have you arrested for trespassing."

"I'm calling Edward." Bella said, pulling out her cell phone.

"You know why we broke up, right? Why he wanted the divorce so damn bad and then all of a sudden didn't care anymore? I'm sure he told you..."

"You cheated on him." Bella listened as the phone rang and rang, silently pleading for him to pick up.

"Can't deny that one but I can tell you he did it first. He's doing it to you, too. You're just too stupid to see it. A man as hot as him, hell, he could have anyone in this town. You really think you're the only one?"

"You're lying," Bella shot back, not really knowing what else to say as his voice mail picked up.

"What's wrong? Can't get a hold of him, can you? I bet if you call Rosalie she'll be able to get a hold of him. She probably knows exactly where he is. Look, I'm just trying to help you. Don't make the same mistake I did. I was in love with him while he was bedding his precious Rosalie behind my back. I mean, isn't it a little odd that he would go after the divorce so hard but around the same time Rosalie and Emmett were married he quit trying?"

Bella tried to remember back to what was said about the wedding, she couldn't remember how long ago it was. "Look, if you really are trying to help me, I'd really like for you to just leave. You're not welcome here."

"Here, give this to him. The t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. Good luck with this one, Bella. I hope you know you're in for a lifetime of taking care of his kids while he sneaks around with Rosalie. It was nice meeting you."

Bella stood in shock as Tanya drove down the road. She didn't know what to say or do. Tanya was a lying, manipulative bitch but there was a lot that wasn't adding up. Emmett had been ridiculously pissed off that Edward had found out about the baby first. He stayed up doing God knows what all night every night. She needed to talk to him, which led her to another point, she couldn't get a hold of him.

Going back inside, she called the station. No one answered. Her brain was calling her an idiot, telling her that she should test Tanya's theory by calling Rosalie. There was no harm in it. Maybe she _did_ know where Edward was. While she waited for Rosalie to answer her phone, she thought about what Tanya had actually said when she left. _Tanya signed the divorce papers! She really fucking did it! He's a single man! _"Hello?"

It took Bella a second to remember why she called Rosalie to begin with, still in shock she waited for her mind to finally catch up to her. "Rose...hey...you wouldn't happen to know where Edward is would you?"

"The station?" Rosalie asked it like a question, as if it were too obvious.

"I tried there and his cell. There's no answer."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, yeah. I don't...never mind. I'll just keep trying..."

"Bella, are you alright? Let me try to call him..."

"I'll try again. If he'll answer for you, he'd answer for me. Thanks anyway."

It bothered Bella how much she wondered if that statement was true. Would he have picked up for Rosalie? Trying to call his cell one more time, once again being unsuccessful, she went to get Kaley from her bedroom. The little girl looked up at her with slightly scared eyes and she immediately picked her up. Sitting down in the glider, Bella began to rock Kaley. She realized quite quickly that it was meant to comfort her, not her daughter. Tanya's evil, nasty words spun webs through her head, though. She couldn't shake them.

Edward walked in around five o'clock that evening. Kaley was playing with Play-Doh and Bella was trying to get a paper done. "Hey, baby," he said, kissing Kaley on the cheek and turning to do the same with Bella. She wasn't as willing as his little daughter and turned her head. "There's something on the counter for you." Bella stood up and walked into the bedroom, wanting space.

She head him shuffling around a few things and then it was like complete silence filled the room. Eventually, she heard shuffling again and heavy, urgent footsteps coming down the hallway. "What is this?" He finally asked, practically bursting through the door.

"What the hell do you think it is? An invitation to a tea party with the fucking Queen of England?" Bella bit out sarcastically, then regretting it after seeing Edward's face fall. He looked truly happy for all of thirty seconds...before she ruined it.

"No...I know what it is...it's just...this is amazing! We should celebrate!" he urged.

"Tanya was here today," Bella said deadpan.

"What? What do you mean 'here'?" The smile immediately fell from his face and was replaced with anger.

"I_ mean _she was waiting on our damn doorstep when I brought Kaley home. That's what I mean!"

"Did she try something with Kaley?"

"No. She said a lot to _me_, though..." Bella stepped past him again, having dropped the bomb on him and needing to check on Kaley.

"Wait..." he said, reaching out for her.

"I have to go check on our daughter. She shouldn't be playing with Play-Doh by herself. I don't think it's totally recommended for two year olds..."

"Bella, please just tell me what she said." He was following her and she bit her tongue to keep from telling him to leave her alone. Instead, she blurted out something she had planned to ask him when Kaley wasn't around.

Spinning around, she crossed her arms and tried not to raise her voice too much. "Where were you today?"

**Sorry it's a few hours late. Rough weekend :( Thank you so much for all the support! I love it! I'm trying to figure out how long to make this story. I'm not sure what I'm going to do but I'll give fair warning on when it will end. We have a while to go yet, no worries :) You all rock! LP xoxo**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 24**

"The station."

"No. You weren't. I tried calling your phone. I called the station. I even called Rosalie which was recommended by Tanya by the way. Where were you?" She asked again, this time more forcefully.

"We were at the station most of the day. We have training next week and a lot of our bigger equipment is kept in an airport hangar. You probably tried to call when we were there. Please, whatever she said has you upset. Tell me what's wrong."

"Did you cheat on her, Edward? Did you start this unraveling relationship that was your marriage?"

"What? No..."

"She said you did it first. You were sleeping with other people and lying to her about where you were all the time."

"Bella...come on! You can't seriously believe her!"

"I tried to call you! I tried and I couldn't get a hold of you and I couldn't call the cops because she said her name was still on the house deed and..." She was starting to cry now and hated herself for it.

"Bella, baby, hey. Stop..."

Both of them turned to see Kaley with a concerned look on her face and a quivering lip. Bella watched as Edward immediately went and picked her up. The little girl clung to him and Bella began to feel terrible. Even though she was upset with Edward, Kaley shouldn't have to witness them arguing. Edward looked like he felt just as terrible and before she knew it, he had stepped forward and wrapped his other arm around her. He kissed them both on the forehead and Bella began to calm down.

"Alright, give me a little bit to get Kaley calmed down. I'll see if Rose will take her for a little while tonight and then you and I are going to sit down and talk. About everything." Edward was taking control of the situation and Bella loved seeing the way he interacted with his daughter...and with herself.

After arrangements were made, Rosalie showed up to get Kaley. She was going to take her to the mall to make a teddy bear at the little toy store there. When she was leaving she hugged Edward and Bella fought the urge to punch her. This was not good. There was no way Tanya could have been truthful. She repeated that mantra until they were both on the couch, staring at each other, waiting for the other to begin. After about five minutes, Edward asked, "What all did she say?"

"I saw her and told her I wanted her to leave. She wouldn't. So, I sent Kaley into the house and threatened to call the cops. She told me that her name was probably still on the deed and you were technically still married so..."

"Okay, slow down. First of all, she's not on the deed. She never was. She lied about that. She wasn't stupid, Bella, there was no way she was going to tie herself down to me anymore than she already was. My grandfather passed away and the house belonged to him. He didn't live in it but he owned and rented out properties, kind of like what Esther is doing. It's how my family knows her and Allen. Anyway, he was renting it to me while I went to school after Tanya and I were married. He left it to me when he died, though the expenses of the place is kind of ridiculous...and I know it's too big for just Kaley and me...I can't give it up. It was his and we were close. Tanya never had any claim to the house, though legally, I was an idiot and never had prenuptial agreements written. Tanya manipulates. It's what she does. I couldn't risk losing the house to her. I never finished school, Bella. I was close but she worked at the D.A.'s and had connections to lawyers who I would never be as good as. Hell, she was probably sleeping with most of them!

"Bella, you don't know what it was like. I was twenty five years old, handed a newborn, and was wished good luck. My mom was struggling with my grandfather being sick and eventually passing. I give her a lot of credit because she did what she could but the hospital bills were ridiculous, they sold every property but the one I had because I was the only actual tenant in any of them. Then, I jump up out of nowhere and spring the news that Tanya was pregnant...after I broke the news that we were divorcing because she cheated on me."

"Why didn't you just serve her the papers, Edward? Isn't there something that after so long or something you only need one of you to agree to it?"

"It's complicated, Bells. I was hurting and struggling with Kaley. Mom helped out but she had her own issues to deal with and was depressed...yes, Esme depressed...it was hard to see. My father and I were fighting because of school, I was missing work and almost fired because there were days when mom couldn't take her or just days that I didn't want to get out of bed because I had gotten no sleep at all the night before. It took a little while to get things back to normal with my family."

"Same with mine," Bella said quietly, "only they never got back to normal. I lost my grandfather last year."

"I was between a rock and a hard place. I bugged her incessantly in the beginning, begging her to sign. She had taken off to Mexico with some guy and I didn't even know how to send her the papers..." Bella watched as he fought tears and guilt cut through her like a double edged sword, "I joined the fire department and fell in love with getting to help people. I mean, yeah, I can say that I could help people as a lawyer but the politics of it is ridiculous. How can I sit behind a desk all day, getting paid large sums of money, and truly say that I'm doing to it to help people? Maybe some could. Maybe some could rationalize it but I can't, Bella."

"What are you saying? You don't want that? You're going to throw that all away? You're going to give Tanya that benefit?"

"Don't you see? This isn't about her. This, for once, is about me. Me. I know it's totally selfish and I put all that time and money into everything but I think I psyched myself out so much because I didn't want it, Bella. Deep down I knew that wasn't me."

"The divorce was about you, too." Bella said it with absolute certainty, though it broke her heart.

"I...I really fucking loved her. I thought maybe her refusing to sign...maybe it was a message that she still wanted to make this work..."

"She cheated on you! Why would you want that? Why?"

"I was lonely. High school wasn't a great time for me, I didn't have a lot of friends. Rose and a couple of others were all I had. When I met Tanya, I found someone who I thought loved me. I was rejected my biological father and then by her and I thought I could be better for her. I was mad so I asked her to leave but I don't think I wanted her to. I struggle with that every damn day. I hate myself for it."

"One more thing I need clarified. Tanya told me you are sleeping with Rosalie..."

"That's bullshit! I would never..."

"I know." Bella put her hand up as if it could stop his words. "Did you ever cheat on her with Rosalie?"

"No. Never." His voice carried so much conviction Bella knew he couldn't possibly be lying.

"Have you ever slept with her? Was there ever a point where you two were together...intimately?"

Edward became quiet for a minute and Bella was starting to worry. With a sigh, he finally admitted. "We went to prom together in high school. I kissed her. She kissed me back. There was a lot of...kissing. Bella, I swear to you, absolutely promise you that we only ever made out that one night. It was so awkward the next day, we wouldn't even talk about it. We haven't since it happened and I don't ever plan to. It's one of those things that is kind of pushed down into the depths of hell that you never want to reveal to anyone much less discuss it."

Bella was deep in thought, then. She fought to sum up their conversation and finally said. "Okay. Let's paraphrase. First, Tanya doesn't have rights to the house or Kaley. Second, you don't want to finish law school. Third, you aren't 'bedding' your best friend as Tanya put it but you did make out at a high school prom."

"That's pretty much it."

"Okay." Bella sat back, her mind a million miles away again, trying to process everything. It was obvious that he had just admitted things to her that he hadn't told anyone...not even Rosalie.

"Bella, I'm working a job I hate to support Kaley. I thought I'd be doing it for the rest of my life but now I think I know what I want to do. I've pushed so many things down, not allowing myself opportunities to dwell on what could benefit me. Then I met you and it was all I could do because I wanted you but I had to weigh in on if it was what was best for all three of us. Every fear and every denial was brought to the surface. I'm afraid I can't be who you need me to be."

"You don't need to be anyone other than yourself! All of these things you've told me aren't horrible! They're just secrets and feelings that a lot of people have but hide. If you don't want to do that job or finish school then don't but don't settle for anything less than what makes you happy! I love you and I just need you to be you."

"Bells, I'm still scared that I'm pushing you. I'm not saying that I'm pushing you into something you don't want...it's just that I don't want you to miss out on things because of me and Kaley. You are what makes me happy but Bells I'm twenty-seven. I'm looking for long term. I'm looking for someone who wants children. I'm looking for someone who will accept that I don't make six figures and in all honesty, I don't plan to. Ever. I don't need that much money..."

"I've never once even thought about that, Edward. I don't care if you are flipping burgers for a living. You are busting your ass to care for your daughter...our daughter...and now, you're supporting me, too. I love you for all of that and more. So, the only other question is, what do you want? A wife? A career? A baby? I mean, we could work out all of it at once but we both might be suicidal til it's all said and done..."

"I don't know. I do want to see if I can get my degree in Sociology and do social work. I want to help kids like me and Kaley, who were not cared for by parents, and unlucky enough to not have either of their parents step up. I want to do social work. I want to help families after they lose their homes. I want to help children who lost their parents. I want marriage again and babies but I'd just simply settle for you saying you'll be here when I get home. I've longed for those words so many times they used to make me sick. I can't hear you say them enough."

"You should do it. Edward, this is it. The divorce is done. We have signed papers that prove it. It's over. Call the school Monday, you already have your undergrad degree...I bet you would still only need a few more classes. I'm tired of watching you do things you don't want to do because of everyone else. You're working a job you hate because you're in a confusing place and you don't know what you want. There has to be a time when you quit dealing with life and start living it. I'm here to stay, Edward. If you go back to school and I stay home with Kaley, we can pull this off."

"I'll call but I'm not sure that everything will go as smoothly as we think."

"We're not going to give up though either. We'll wait until we hear the verdict to tell anyone about you changing your mind about your career." Bella took a deep breath and braced for the next issue, knowing he would have trouble with it. "There's one more thing I want to know. Is it okay if I take Kaley with me to Seattle next weekend? You're not going to be home and I want to go visit. There having trick or treat Saturday night and I thought we could go shopping for a costume for her on Friday and spend the evening with you. We won't leave until you leave Saturday."

"Bells...it's far. I don't know...I mean...I haven't been that far from her yet. I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Okay. That's fine. We'll stay home. No big deal." Bella saw the struggle going on inside of him.

"Wait...just let me think about it. It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't know if this is the best idea. I worry about her."

"Edward, I get it. Come here," she said, pulling him towards her and climbing onto his lap. "I've missed you. I feel like the only time I see you is for a few hours in the evening."

"Well, I'm busy with work and the department. It's not like I have anything against spending time with you, I miss you, too."

"I have something else I need to get off my chest."

"Okay..."

"I'm worried about the fact that you're not sleeping. Is it me? Are you just not used to sleeping beside someone?"

"No, Bells, it's not you. I just don't."

"You don't what?"

"Sleep. I can't...and when I do..."

"When you do..." Bella prompted after he got a strange look on his face.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright. As long as it isn't me. I really think you need to start trying, though. It's not healthy."

"I'll be fine, love. What do you want to do this evening? Rose said she wanted to take Kaley to her dad's for a visit tonight..."

Of course, in that calm moment between the two of them, the alarms began to go off in the distance. He just shook his head and sighed when the house phone began to ring. "What is it this time, Em?" Edward asked, looking defeated and Bella felt for him. He had to be exhausted after not sleeping at all and being out working all day.

"Shit. Alright, just get here."

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, kneeling on the couch and watching his tense body.

"There's a fire out at one of the old farmhouses," he called, heading down the hallway. Bella jumped up and followed him. She watched as he threw on his dark blue station shirt and grabbed his helmet off of the floor by the bedroom door. Fear engulfed her as he turned back to kiss her. "I'm sorry. Before I leave this weekend you and I will go out. Just the two of us. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too. Please be careful." The weight of the idea that if something happened this could be a goodbye forever, she said with conviction. "I'll be waiting here for you when you get home. I'm never going anywhere."

And so, the waiting game began. The first hour wasn't so bad, she finished her lesson plans for the coming week and caught up on the notes and chapters she missed from the week prior. There weren't many notes and when she ran out, that's when she decided to turn on the news. It was a little after six and the news was on. It was a bad idea. It wasn't broadcasting anything about the fire at first, so Bella tried to take that as a positive sign. It wasn't until a few minutes later, closer to six thirty, that they switched the topic from an E. Coli outbreak to the fire. There weren't many details but they showed the guys trying to put it out. She tried to see Edward on the screen but there were too many guys in the same equipment. The only one she could id positively was Emmett...the guy was huge.

It was only a brief mention and then they were onto some story about Halloween safety. The waiting is what killed her. With no one around, unlike all the other times with Rose, Bella felt helpless to her wandering mind. She needed to leave, to get out of the house but she reminded herself that there was really nowhere for her to go. She pulled a bucket from the little closet that held cleaning supplies and began to scrub. She cleaned all the floors, the bathrooms, and even did the dishes. He'd left three hours ago and it was becoming too much. She thought back to the numerous calls he'd been out on in just the short time they'd known each other. Rarely had he ever been gone this long.

Grabbing the phone, she decided to call Rosalie and see if she knew anything. "Bella, hi."

"Hey. Have you heard from either of the guys?"

"No. I'm getting worried, too."

Hanging up after being reassured that Kaley was fine, Bella plopped down on the couch and sighed. She sat there, staring at the tan floor, praying that everything was okay. Her fears never went away and about ten minutes later, they over took her. "Bella!" Jumping up off the couch, Bella threw open the front door to find Alice in tears. "They guys! They're at the hospital!"

"What guys? All of them?"

"No. Jasper and Edward! A floor collapsed!"

Sprinting back in, Bella grabbed her shoes and barely had them on as she ran out the door, car keys in hand. "I'll drive. Come on."

Once they were in the car, Alice went on to explain that a barn beside the farmhouse had been in danger of going up as well. Jasper and Edward had gone in to make sure there was nothing flammable in it since they couldn't get a hold of the owners. They had made it to the upstairs loft of the barn when the barn caught fire. They had been making there way to the top of the ladder of the old barn just as the old rotted floor gave out. She didn't know all of the details but was told all of this by James. Bella felt her phone going off in her pocket but was already driving at dangerously ridiculous speeds, she wasn't going to add talking on a cell phone to her offenses.

She almost left the car door open as she and Alice sprinted for the entrance. They ran into the hospital but soon realized that they had no idea where the hell they were going. Finally remembering her phone, she pulled it out and saw it was Rosalie and immediately called her back. "Rose!"

"Bella, listen, there's been an accident..."

"I know. I'm already at the hospital! I can't come, I don't want Kaley to see him if it's bad. You fucking call me the second you know he's okay. Promise me, Bella!"

"I will. I have to go. I have to find him..."

Alice was pulling her towards a set of elevators and she let herself be dragged onto one as soon as it opened. Alice began pushing buttons and Bella sagged back against the railing that lined the cold, metal box. She had no idea where Alice was taking her but her mind was not wanting to work. She fought with herself to snap out of it. Desperate to clear her mind. The doors slid open and Bella saw that they were standing in a room full of people. Most were sitting, some were pacing, they all looked tired and worried. This was the emergency room.

"Alice! Over here!" A man with light colored hair waved to them from across the busy room.

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

"They took him in to cast his arm. It's broken. They're also worried about internal bleeding so they'll be running some tests."

Bella barely heard what he said, spinning around and looking for Edward. She chastised herself for thinking she'd see him in the waiting room, of course he wouldn't be out there. Leaving Alice, she made her way to the nurse's station and leaned against it for support. "Edward Cullen. What room is he in?"

"Are you family?"

"Yes!"

"What relation?"

"Girlfriend."

"Mam, we have to get it okay'd with him first. We haven't been able to establish a list with him of approved people and if you aren't immediate family..."

"Bullshit. I'm his daughter's mother, we live together! I have to see him!"

"I'm sorry..."

Groaning, Bella stopped herself from reaching across and strangling the old bitch who was probably ready for retirement. Pushing off of the counter, Bella looked around and decided to go back to the stranger and Alice. "They won't let me see him! I'm not_ family_."

"Bells, I'm sure he's fine. He'll be able to tell them himself that it's okay to let you see him. Try to calm down..."

"Bells? As in Bella? It's nice to meet you, I'm Johnathon Whitlock, Jasper's father."

"Nice to meet you. I'm sorry, I'm just really scared..."

_Father. Father..._That's when it hit her. She had her phone out and Carlisle on the other line in seconds. "Carlisle? Edward's in the hospital..."

"What? Why?"

"There was an accident while he was fighting a fire. A floor gave in and he fell. They won't let me back to see him. Can you help me?"

"I'm here already in the pediatrics unit. Give me a second and I'll meet you. Where are you at? The ER?"

"Yeah."

Dr. Carlisle Cullen stepped through the doors of the elevator, looking like a saint. Bella could honestly say she had never been happier to see anyone...at least until he got her to Edward. He headed right over to the gray haired witch and spoke with authority. Bella walked over to them and the woman looked back and forth between her and Carlisle before sighing and saying, "Fine. She can go back. He's in room 18..."

**Well, my bridal shower is this weekend so my life is going to be crazy stressful for the next week. I am going to try to post as much as I can but I'm also to the point now where I'm writing each chapter before posting, nothing is pre-written at the moment. Have patience with me, I promise not to be like some who go weeks without posting. (It just might be every other day instead of everyday.) **

**On a good note, I entered a story titled Everyday Hero for the Trying for a Baby contest and won 1st Place for Judge's choice out of 6 other stories. It is officially on my profile page and if you enjoy this story, I really really recommend it. There is lots of fluff and daddyward...which I know we all love. ;) Ellelovesedward—my beta for that story, and I have worked very hard on it and would love to see what you think. It's long, almost 10,000 words and 22 pages, so it can hold you over in case I have to miss a day posting a new chapter for this story. **

**I love you all and thank you for all of the awesome reviews! LP xxoo PS...Rob last night on the MTV movie awards made my life :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Breathe deep for me. Alright. Again. Alright. Are you having trouble breathing? Is it painful?"

Bella stood outside of the little curtained off room, trying to find the courage to go in. She listened as the doctor was checking him over, not wanting to interrupt anything—at least that was the excuse she was using for being a coward. She was glad Rosalie hadn't brought Kaley down, she didn't want her daughter to see what a mess she was.

"No. I mean it burns a little but no more than normal. Inhaling too much smoke isn't uncommon for me."

"Alright, let's see that back of yours. I already know that it's really bruised but I want to make sure there were no discs knocked out of place. Are you in a lot of pain because of it?"

"Yeah. I'll admit to that one."

"Well, let's take a look."

Bella listened as Edward let out a pained hiss and a grunt. She fought tears, trying to remind herself that he wasn't dying...just in pain...but that hurt her almost as much. "Your back is really cut up, must be from going down through the floor boards. You're going to need a few stitches and I want x-rays done. Do you know if your father is working today? I would suggest letting your family know what's going on. Is there anywhere you're expected to be?"

"No. I have to call my girlfriend, though. If she knows what happened she's probably scared. My daughter's with a friend. Can you just give me a sec and then we'll go for the x-rays?"

"Yeah. I'll go get things ready. Don't sit back, I'm going to get what I need for the stitches first."

The curtain bunched from the other side and an older doctor appeared, causing her to jump. "Can I help you?" he asked, probably concerned considering she had tears in her eyes.

"No," Bella said, shaking her head quickly, annoyed with herself for getting his attention.

"Are you looking for someone?" he asked, bringing the folder he was holding to his side.

"No..."

"Bella?" she heard Edward call from the other side of the curtain, the thin pink curtain the only thing keeping him from her.

"Sweetie, you can go in," the doctor said kindly, calling her bluff.

"Bella, honey, come in. I'm okay."

She stood back from the curtain a little, as if it would burn her. She heard movement then and a grunt before it opened the whole way to reveal Edward standing in front of her, slightly crouched over. "Bella, I'm fine. See? I'm fine."

The doctor nodded a goodbye and walked away, leaving them staring at each other. She eventually stepped forward, putting her arms over his shoulders in an awkward hug, afraid to hurt his back worse and already needing to stand on her tiptoes. "I love you."

"I know. I'm fine. My backs a little messed up but I'm going to be fine."

_What if you weren't? _She looked him up and down before saying,"I heard from Alice."

"I figured. I was out when they brought me in. I don't even remember the ride here..." his voice trailed off as if he knew Bella wasn't taking that news so well. "How's Jasper? I know he was worse off than me."

Feeling horrible because she couldn't remember what had been said and wondering if Alice had even gotten back to see him, she felt helpless. Two words floated through Bella's head—too much. She opened her mouth to say them but the doctor came back in with a nurse. "Alright, let's get you stitched up. Bella? Are you going to stay?"

Bella answered yes at the same time Edward answered no. "I'm staying." Now that she was with him, she couldn't walk away. Not to mention the fact that the young nurse was eying him up way more intently than Bella was okay with...and he had put his shirt back_ on _before going into the hallway to meet her.

"I don't want you to have to watch this. Just go. I'll meet you in the waiting room when they're finished with me..."

"Edward, please," Bella knew it came out as a desperate whisper and he must have realized she wasn't going anywhere.

"Alright. Let's get this over with. Bella, this is Dr. Maxwell Andrews. He's worked with my dad before and they went to some pre-med classes together in college. Max, this is Bella, my girlfriend."

"It's nice to meet you, darling."

A minute later, Edward's shirt was off, and he was leaning forward with his hands in hers. She wouldn't look at his back, refusing to see the skewed and bloody skin. He was on a table higher than the chair she was sitting in and he looked down at her, their eyes locking. She stayed silent, not wanting to distract the doctor...though she wouldn't mind distracting the nurse from the oogling of her boyfriend.

Once in awhile, he'd clench her hand and grimace but she held tight, not letting her eyes fall away from his. "Alright, everything looks good. There's a gown you need to put on and then we'll go down to radiology. Bella, you'll have to wait here until we're done."

Edward kissed her on the cheek as the doctors walked out before picking up the flimsy gown. "I really hate these things..."

Bella watched him start to unbuckle his belt. Her mouth watered and she had to remind herself that she was in a hospital and Edward was in no condition to take her there on the hospital bed. So, she did what she did best in these types of situation—situations where she couldn't decide if she should laugh in frustration or cry in desperation , she teased. "That little nurse was checking you out, Mr. Cullen."

"Was she now?" he smirked.

"She sure was...I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head when she saw you take off your shirt."

"Yeah," he snorted with a smile, "as if a torn up and bruised back is what a girl needs to get all hot and bothered..."

Through their little banter, things began to seem not so scary and Bella started to relax. She could also remember what was said about Jasper. Edward was all smiles, though careful when bending over to remove his jeans. She felt for him, seeing how much pain he really was in. He still seemed happy and she wanted to keep it that way. "Jasper's doing fine, I hear. A broken arm and they were checking him over but I think he's fine. I wonder if Alice got in to see him. Your dad came down and got me in. They weren't going to let me at first..."

"I don't give a shit who I am! You tell me where he is before I call his father..."

"Miss...wait...you can't go back there!"

Edward was scrambling to pull on the gown and Bella strode over to help him. Obviously, Rosalie wasn't playing the waiting game as calmly as Bella had. She had no idea how Rosalie figured out which room was his but they heard heels coming down the little hallway, stopping right outside his curtain.

Edward was sitting down, the open-backed gown thankfully in a position that left enough to the imagination that he was comfortable with it. Bella was behind him, tying the strings at his neck, he was fine with her seeing his backside...he just wished she didn't have to see how bad it probably looked. Either way, he was grateful Rose couldn't get that type of a view as she threw the curtain open and walked in with authority. "Edward Anthony, I swear between you and my husband I'm going to have a damn heart attack before I'm 30!"

"Where's Kaley?" was all he could think to ask her and Bella added, "I thought you couldn't come."

"Emmett got home and has her at our place. No one called me and I was starting to worry. Then, the dumb asses out there wouldn't give me any information on you!" her voice was rising again and Edward just shook his head.

"Rosalie Ann, you loud, pregnant, crazy person, calm down and give me a hug. I'm fine. I fell through a floor...no big deal..."

"Fuck you, Cullen," Rosalie said, giving him a hug and tensing when he winced. "How bad is it?"

"Stitches and I'm on my way to get x-rays now. Everything is taken care of at the farmhouse? Did they ever get a hold of the neighbors?"

"Yes, it's taken care of and no, still no word from them."

Now, the curtain opened and it was his father's turn to walk in. The little curtained room was beginning to feel rather cramped. "How are you? I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier, I had to go back up to one of my patients."

"I'm fine. Everyone needs to quit worrying about me. I took a fall and banged up my back, inhaling too much smoke at the same time. Max said my lungs sounded fine, my back is stitched up, and he wants to take a few x-rays. No big deal."

"You took a_ bad_ fall," Carlisle reminded him.

"Fine. I took a _bad_ fall." _A fall that could have killed you, stupid. What if it had? Where would that leave Kaley?_

Rose plopped down in the chair that Bella had sat and stuck out the stitching fun a few minutes prior. Not thinking, he reached for Bella's hand and took it in his own. She squeezed it as the doctor came back in. "Hello, Carlisle. He's doing well. I just want to get some x-rays to make sure of it."

"Good."

"Dad, have you heard anything about Jazz?"

"Yeah. He has a broken arm but he's okay. Alice is taking him home."

"Let's get these x-rays done," Edward said, grateful that his friend was okay-Jasper yelling for help was the last thing he remembered from the black out. _I really want to get home. Bella's hands are shaking, she looks terrified. _

Edward went through the process of getting the x-rays and filling out paper work to leave. So much had happened in just one day. That morning he had been at the airport getting equipment ready for the next weekend and now he was in the hospital being sewn up. As he changed back into his dirty clothes, he let Bella wipe a cold paper towel from the bathroom over his face to wipe away some of the sweat and dirt still present. The back of his shirt was a little ripped up and there were holes in his jeans. It was all still wearable—and much more flattering than the flimsy gown.

For the first time in almost a month, all he wanted was to sleep. He assumed it was from the pain killers they'd put him on but it scared him. There was a reason he tried to go days without sleep, a reason that he couldn't bring himself to sleep all night long beside Bella. Rosalie kept telling him he needed to see a psychiatrist, James just simply wanted him to try to come to terms with the fact that unfair shit happened...and with this job...it happened often.

This was already too much for her. She had stepped up as mother to his daughter, she was striding toward girlfriend of the year, and still pulling a 4.0. It was no wonder that she was tired and easily upset. He also knew that Tanya's visit today had shaken her. He still hated himself for not being there—or at least missing her call. His back was another issue. Pain racked his body as it shot up and down the area between his shoulder blades and tailbone. There was no way he was going to let anyone in on how truly it actually hurt. He couldn't go through more lectures on how he needed to start taking better care of himself. He needed to take care of Kaley and right now, she and Bella were the only things he wanted.

It seemed like forever before the doctor came in carrying a pill bottle and his chart. "Thankfully, nothing looks broken or out of place. Unfortunately, these bruises are going to probably be a lot worse tomorrow. I'm giving you a pretty strong pain killer and it's imperative that you take them as you're supposed to." Edward watched his father walk over and take the bottle to look at it. "I would advise against heavy lifting and recommend a lot of rest. I'm writing you slips for missing work for Monday and Tuesday. Let me know how you are feeling Wednesday and we'll talk about where to go from there. I don't think you'll have much problem. Oh, and no alcohol while you're taking this."

"What about my daughter? What's considered heavy lifting?"

"How old is she now? One?"

"Two."

"I suggest letting grammy and pappy watch her for a few days," Max said, smiling over at Carlisle who was now talking to Rosalie.

"That's not necessary. I want her with me. She never goes days without seeing me..."

"Max, he and Bella are living together. I'm sure Kaley will be fine at home with them."

"Absolutely," Bella spoke up.

"Bella, it's late, after ten. Why don't you just let her stay with Emmett and me tonight? We'll bring her by tomorrow afternoon," Rose said hopefully.

Bella was looking at him now, as if waiting to let him make the decision. "That's fine, Rose. Why don't you head home? You need your rest as well and I'm a little concerned that Emmett's been alone with her for this long..."

"Alright, I'll call you before I bring her over tomorrow," Rosalie said, walking over and hugging him again. When Carlisle started talking to Bella beside them, Rose lowered her voice. "If you need me, you call. Bella's great and I've got faith in her but I'm still here, just like always."

"Thanks, Rose. Same here, though I might not be in the best shape to do it, you let me know if someone's ass needs kicked."

After forty five more minutes, they were finally home. He hadn't eaten in almost twelve hours, his face was the only part of his body that was clean, and he felt like all of that could wait until he slept for twelve days. First and foremost though, he could see that Bella was about one more straw away from her own back breaking. "Bells." He said it as more of a command then a request, she was helping him into the house, rattling off a list of things that needed done for him and he just wanted her to stop.

"What?" she asked with a confused look, like she just realized he was even there.

"I'm okay." Pulling her towards him, he kissed her forehead and taking her hands in his, rubbed his thumbs in soothing 's all it took. Tears started to pour and she shook her head. He knew what words were coming next. He'd seen them right under the surface at the hospital and now they were back. He braced for them, not knowing how_ much_ the situation had become too much—or at what point it actually happened. She looked ragged and even through her sad eyes, he saw beauty.

"It's too..."

He kissed her, cutting off any possibility of her getting to say what he didn't want to hear. It was selfish, it was unfair, and he couldn't stop himself. He wasn't sure how long they stood there kissing in front of the front door but he wasn't sure that he cared. He was scared that she would choose now to walk away, which is why she pulled away first. "That's not fair," she whispered.

"I'm afraid of what you have to say."

"You _have_ to let me say it."

He motioned for her to continue and she took a deep breath. "I can't do this alone."

"You aren't..."

"I could have been! As of five o'clock when this happened, I could have been. What would happen to Kaley if something happens to you?"

Wondering if this was a rhetorical question, he answered anyway, "My mother and father."

"And I'd be moving back in with Alice and Jasper, losing my shot at being her mother."

"That's not true. My parents would never let that happen. They wouldn't take the house away from you and they sure as hell wouldn't keep you from Kaley."

"Yeah, keep her from me, as in she wouldn't be in my care anymore. I wouldn't be her mother. I would lose both of you..."

"Bella, this is a part of my life."

"_I_ am a part of your life! Kaley _needs_ you in hers! I can not and will not lose you. I've lost too many people in my life: Alice's mom, Jake's mom, Quil, and I refuse to lose you."

"I'm not leaving the department, Bella." The words were supposed to come out slow and kind but he found that they came out harsh and slightly bitter.

"Go get in the shower."

"What?"

"Go shower off, you're exhausted and need to sleep. Shower off some of the ash and blood. I'll get you something to eat."

"Bella..."

"Go. I need to think and you need to eat. It'll be ready when you're done..."

"Bella..."

"I said, go, Edward. Go."

So, like a dog with his tail between his legs, he made his way up the stairs to the bathtub that once again looked cavernous. He winced as the hot water hit his back and he fought tears. _You had to be a dick about it. She's going to leave your stupid ass and all you have to say is you aren't leaving the department? Really, Cullen? _He was thankful for the water, it made it so he was unable to feel his tears. He knew he couldn't leave the other guys. He couldn't. They'd become his family over the past two and a half years, you couldn't go through what those guys witnessed without creating life-long bonds.

Of all people, he expected Bella to understand that part of his life. Her own father was a police officer. Then he realized that might be why it was so hard for her to accept what he did. She was right, Kaley did need him. He could say what he wanted about the resiliency of that little girl, the way she was tough enough to survive with just him for most of her life. He could deny that he was fundamental to her life, that she was probably better off with a father who had his shit together, but he knew better. He only wanted what was best for her, and though he knew he was definitely not the best, he was the best that she had.

Then there was just the simple topic of Bella. The girl was everything. He needed her, loved her, and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He made a mental note to speak with his parents about Bella's importance in both he and Kaley's life. If something were to happen to him, he doubted Kaley would survive it without her. His mother constantly told him how much she hated his past time but he couldn't give it up. It was a brotherhood, a family. He just needed to give her some time, let her calm down, and then they could talk everything out.

Walking into the bedroom, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and left off the shirt, not wanting to feel anything against the raw skin. He headed out to find Bella and couldn't help the smile when he saw the dinner she had sat out for him on the table. "Bella, you didn't have to cook..." his sentence stopped there when he saw the paper sitting beside it.

In her neat little, school teacher scrawl, Bella had written, 'I'm not going anywhere. I'll be back.' He felt like his knees were about to give out. The only thing that gave him the ability to sit down and eat a few bites of the food was the presence of Peanut. Bella wouldn't have left him for good. So, he sat by himself, taking about five bites, and setting the plate on the floor for the little ball of fur to finish off.

**I went a whole day without updating...it was scary, I know lol Seriously, though, thank you all for your kind words and reviews! I may not have a spare minute...or minutes—seeing how many of you are so awesome that you review (every time)...I do read each and every word. Thank you all for the wedding wishes and it probably will not be quite as pretty as in Breaking Dawn, though I do have my very own Alice, she's my cousin and best friend—after my fiance—and I couldn't get through life without her :) Also, thanks to those who checked out Everyday Hero, it didn't receive too many reviews but they have all been positive and that's all I could possibly want :) If you're bored, check it out! Next update will possibly (probably?) happen tomorrow evening sometime. Until then, LP xxooxx**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 26**

Bella heard it before she even had to time orient and herself and figure out where he was. "No! Please..." Edward cried out painfully.

Sprinting up the stairs and down the hallway Bella threw the door of the bedroom open. Edward was lying on the bed, sheets wrapped around his arms and legs like tendrils. Though his eyes were closed, tears were running down his face. She had never, ever seen Edward this way before and it was heart wrenching. She never should have left him, not even for the half hour she was checking on Jasper and Alice.

The way he was lying on his back and thrashing around made Bella worry that he'd end up ripping his stitches...there was already some blood on the sheets. Unable to just watch anymore, she finally felt her legs become mobile as she made her way to the bed and put an arm around his shoulder after lifting his head to rest against her chest. "Edward, baby, please wake up..."

He cried, grabbing onto her with a death grip. He was full out sobbing now.

"EDWARD! I'm right here. Wake up!" She shook him a little trying to get him to realize what was going on.

Nowhere near soon enough, his eyes snapped open and he seemed to relax a little. The sobs turned into sniffling. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize! What were you dreaming about? Are you alright?"

"Nothing..."

"That didn't sound like nothing." She watched as he used the sheet to wipe the tears from his face and remembered the blood. "Let me see your back. I want to see if your stitches are still stitched."

When he didn't turn, she climbed over him and looked herself. He was lying on his side, and had been facing her, so it was easy to see the damage. Some of the more shallow cuts had reopened but other than that everything looked okay...not that she really knew...but he wasn't gushing blood so she took that as a good sign. "Do you need any pain pills?"

"No," Edward answered quickly.

"Let me just get you half of one..."

"They make me tired. I don't want them."

"You should be tired. Edward, you need sleep," Bella protested, climbing back over and reaching out to touch his face.

"I thought you left. That this was too much and you really left this time..."

"I told you I'd be back. I had to go check on Alice and Jasper, she's not taking all of this very well either."

"Oh."

"Is that why you had the nightmare? You thought I left you? I wouldn't just walk out without even saying goodbye," Bella replied, as if that was the most basic common knowledge out there.

"You're not the reason..." his voice trailed off.

"Then what is? Edward, there is a reason you aren't sleeping. You haven't been sleeping since I started babysitting regularly. If it's not me then what the hell is it?" She couldn't hide the annoyance in her voice. Instead of answering her, Edward got out of bed and made his way out of the room. "Where the hell are you going?"

Even more annoyed, she jumped up and followed him into his little office room. Flipping on the computer, he clicked on his 'favorites' button and scrolled down before clicking on a link. The obituary of a little boy popped up and Bella instantly recognized who it was. Andrew Davis...the little boy Edward had gone into save but ended up carrying out his body. Bella figured Edward had seen it long enough and clicked on a different link. This time, it was an article with Edward's picture in it. He was standing near an ambulance, obviously handing the little boy over.

The link clicking continued for the next ten minutes, it seemed to her like every article, picture, and video clip involving the situation was being shown to her. Edward was absolutely silent the whole time. "You know this wasn't your fault, right? Everyone has said, in everything you've just shown me, that he was gone before you got to him. This isn't because you did something wrong..."

When he still wouldn't talk, Bella sighed and took the folder he was holding out to her. Once again, there were more articles, this time hard copies of them. "Why are you holding onto all of this? With being a firemen, you witness bad things happening to people all the time. Why is this so hard on you?"

"I dream about him. I use to dream about a guy...this guy was the first one I tried to save and didn't succeed. Now, I see this little boy."

"What happens, Edward? Is he alive in the dreams?"

"No. It always starts out that I see him lying there, already dead. I knew that night before I even touched him that he was dead. There's something about people...when they're no longer alive...it's like there's less energy or something...I just knew. The hard part about it, every time I go to pick him up, As soon as he's in my arms...it's not him..."

Tears were fresh on his cheeks and Bella knelt down in front of the chair he was sitting on. "Who is it?"

"Kaley," he choked out, putting his head in his hands. "She's always...she's always..._gone_. She's just like that little boy. That's not all either...do you remember that night, the first one you stayed over, and you had Kaley in bed with you? The two of you were sleeping so that her back was to you and your arms were wrapped around her little body. Anyway, when I realize Kaley's...gone, I see you there. I've just pulled her away from you and you're...gone, too. The ashes float down from the ceiling to land on your lips. It's the most tragically heart breaking scene I have ever witnessed..."

"How long have you been like this?"

"It happened on and off when I first started...the first death I witnessed took a lot out of me. Rose had to practically move in and help me with Kaley I was such a wreck...She's been trying to get me to go see a therapist or whatever since then."

"Why haven't you?"

"I'm not crazy, Bella. I don't 'see dead people'," he said it using air quotes, "I know they're dead. It's just bad images. I don't know what else to say about it. There's nothing _to_ say about it..."

"Well, maybe I'd really like to not have to sleep alone every night. I'd like to wake up to you in the morning. I was upset with you the other night, after the movie, when I asked you to come to bed and you wouldn't. I need that time with you, especially since we have a two year old who takes a lot of our attention."

"I knew you were upset but I just couldn't...I'm sorry."

"Will you try? For me? I won't ask you to see anyone about it but just talk to me. I don't want to marry someone who I never get to cuddle up to at night."

"Well, you know, we are alone...and I'm totally up for cuddling..."

"Not until you shower away that sweat, Cullen. Actually, you know what, I have an apology to make. I shouldn't have left you like that, I was upset and you needed me..."

"I get it, Bells. I told you to tell me when it was too much and you did. I will never blame you for that. I just took it that you were like...far...away and it freaked me out..."

"Still, let me go run a warm bath for you and get the sheets changed. Did you eat the food I left for you?"

"I ate part...and Peanut at the other part..."

"Edward Anthony, is that the reason my dog is lying on his back in the living room?"

Edward just laughed and pulled her towards him. After a kiss to the forehead, he kissed her chastely and limped out of the room. Bella watched him walk out that way and worried that maybe something else was wrong, something the doctor didn't catch. Digging through the linen closet at the end of the hall by the bedroom, Bella looked for an extra set of sheets. While she found about five sets with princesses, Barbies, animals, Sesame Street characters, and Winnie the Pooh, she found nothing that a twenty seven year old man would admittedly sleep on.

"Edward, please tell me you have another set in here somewhere!"

"Um..." he came out of the bathroom, with a shy look on his face, "I...um...forgot that...I might have...burned them."

"What?" Bella gasped, looking at him like more damage might have been done to his head then they'd realized.

"I found out that Tanya had brought someone back here and I couldn't...so I burned them..."

"And you never bought yourself an extra set after that?" Bella tried to pretend he didn't sound mental and main reason she was upset was because he had no extra sheets.

"No."

Bella rolled her eyes, "Typical man."

Bella had thought to line the part of the tub he'd be leaning against with the softest towels she could find, draping them down so he had something soft to lean against. He looked at her, unable to ever imagine being in this type of situation with Tanya. He knew now that she never loved him and if she ever had it was short lived. It frustrated him that he wasted all those years of his life thinking she did, until Bella, now he knew without a doubt what he had with his ex wasn't love. Everything about Bella was love.

Watching her now, bent over the big tub, rubbing his chest with soap, he realized he would never need anyone else as long as he had her...and of course Kaley. He was intently watching the water splash up, soaking the pale pink shirt she wore. With a yawn, Bella rinsed his shoulders with a cup he used to bath Kaley. "You know, Mr. Cullen, this nurse is getting ready for her shift to be over..."

"I'm liking this sponge bath waaaaaay to much, Miss Swan."

Her eyes widened in a playful way, and given her seductive tone in which she said, "Is that so?" let him know she wasn't as tired as she was letting on...her hand dipping down under the water confirmed it. She was leaning into kiss him and he found her hand working his shaft with the warm water and slippery soap, causing him to clench his teeth. The kiss was awkward because of it and Bella laughed. Just then, the shrill sound of his ringing cell phone made them both jump and burst out in laughter at their feeling like they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't.

"Stay here, I'll grab it," Bella said jumping up and running out.

"Who would be calling this late? It's after midnight!" Edward yelled. "I really hope nothing is wrong with Kaley..."

Bella was back in seconds carrying his cell and handing it to him. "You could have answered it..."

"It was Rose," she shrugged, as if that was all the explanation he needed. Hitting her speed dial number, Rose picked up before the first ring was done.

"I'm so, so sorry to call this late, bud. I hate to do this...normally I could handle every situation with her...I've never had a problem..."

"Rosalie, what's wrong? Just tell me."

"Right...sorry," he knew it wasn't good if she was this flustered, "Kaley has been crying for you for the past couple hours now. I thought she'd eventually cry herself out but it's not working. I've tried everything. Warm bath, warm milk with cheerios in it, stories, letting her watch tv...she just keeps asking for you. There's no fever and she's not complaining about being sick or anything like that and if you want me to still keep her that's fine. I just thought you should know so you don't think I just didn't care or something...I know you aren't feeling that well and I'd hate to..."

"We'll be over to get her, Rose. Chill. I think everyone overestimates the amount of time I've really spent away from her. She's not used to going long periods of time like this and she's probably just confused."

"Pain pills and driving don't mix, Cullen."

"Bella can come..."

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm not used to you having someone else there...it's different."

"It's fine."

"Still, let me bring her over. You two were probably sound asleep and Bella doesn't know exactly where we live anyway—which needs to change. I can't believe she's never been here before."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Alright, we'll plan a shindig. We're still up but if you would like to bring her that's fine. We'll have the lights on." They hung up after saying the typical goodbyes.

"Rosalie is bringing Kaley home. She's not sick or anything like that, it's just that she misses us."

"I'm missing her, too. She's another one that really wants to spend some more time with you than she has been lately."

"Well, let's get her home and everyone can get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll go out and the three of us will spend the day together. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Bella said with a smile.

Bella watched Rosalie carry Kaley in. The poor little girl looked like she was about to fall over from exhaustion and Rose apologized up and down for it. As soon as she set Kaley down, the little girl walked clumsily over to her daddy, like he was her lifeline. Without a thought, he picked her up and immediately, Bella saw him wince. She walked over to them, holding her arms out to Kaley, who fought her off and tried to cling to Edward. Bella gave him a look that said 'you shouldn't be doing this' but he ignored her and stepped a few feet back to sit on the bench lining the wall. Then, through clenched teeth, Edward said, "I've got you, little bug. Did you have fun with Aunt Rosie and Uncle Em?"

Kaley grinned a big, tired grin and then laid her head down on his shoulder. If she had missed Bella at all, it wasn't apparent and Bella brushed it off. What she had with Kaley was just a sliver of what Edward had with the little girl. Honestly, Bella wouldn't have it any other way. "Rose, really, thanks for all the help you were today."

"It's no problem. Ever. You just say the words and I'll be here. I know you're there for them and I think it's great but just don't forget I love them both, too."

"I know. I'll call you this week about getting together for dinner. The five...I mean six of us," she gestured to Rose's still-flat belly, "can hang out a little."

"I'd love that."

Both girls turned to look at Edward, swaying back and forth and rocking his daughter. He was bouncing his knee a little and she clung to him, one fist gripping his bare shoulder and the other dug into a clump of his hair. Edward was cooing at her and it took him awhile before he realized both girls were adoring the adorableness of the scene. "Leave me alone," Edward said, rolling his eyes. Bella rolled hers and shook her head, expecting him to put down his daughter and beat on his chest to prove his masculinity. 'Me Edward. You woman.'

"Alright, I've got to get these two to bed," Bella said and hugged Rosalie goodbye.

After a five minute argument in the front room, Edward won and carried his daughter upstairs on his own. He was limping more than before and Bella knew there was a lot of straining in his back muscles. The man was stubborn, though. Kaley was already asleep, had been before Rose even left, and she watched Edward lay his daughter down in her princess bed. She also watched the way he had trouble standing back up straight and she heard the groan.

"Alright, let's get you into bed. I have heat packs from the hospital to warm up for you and I'm sure the blood's dry so we'll just have to deal with bloody sheets until tomorrow. While we're out we can get new ones."

"Sounds like a plan," he said, switching on the night light and humidifier after taking off her Pull-up and putting a clean diaper on her.

They were just leaving the room, Edward heading back to their bedroom, when she asked, "What's your pain level? A whole pill or just a half? You should probably go with a whole one..."

"I don't need it."

"Bullshit." Bella said it with conviction, daring him to challenge her.

"It makes me too tired and I took one before I left the hospital..."

"So you're due for another whole one. I'll be right back. Go get into bed."

"Bells..."

"Don't argue with me. If you get the sponge bath package, it comes along with the cranky nurse that makes you take your medicine."

Edward just hung his head and headed for bed. Bella returned a few minutes later armed with heat pads, pills, and water. "I'm going to be right here. If the nightmares come back, I'll be right here to wake you up. You'll be fine."

Handing him a pill, she held the glass of water to his lip for him to drink. He put the pill in and swallowed another gulp of water. For comic effect, he stuck his tongue out and move it around to prove he swallowed it. "Alright, do you want on your back or your stomach?" He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head, "Though I'm sure you're more than capable of handling all this," Bella ran a hand jokingly across her body, "your back is not. So what will it be? Stomach or back?"

"Back."

"Here, let me set these underneath you, sit up a little for me."

She helped him into a sitting position and laid the pads down over the blood spots from earlier. "There ya go. Sit back."

"I don't deserve you..."

"You underestimate yourself, Edward, and I hate it. I love you so much and it still amazes me how fast this all happened. To think that I could have lost you..." her lip quivered as she laid beside him, propped up on her arm, and she hated that feeling of dread.

"You didn't, Bella. I'm serious about what I said before, though, I can't leave the guys. This was a part of me before we met and we just need to learn to work each other's old lives into this one. I'm going to try, Bells. I'm going to try to be here more."

"Alright. For now, I can deal with that. Promise me that you are not trying to play hero if you don't have to. Don't take unnecessary risks."

"I don't. Jazz and I have always been the two to go into the buildings to get people out. He has a bit of calming effect and we're the two lightest guys...which is supposed to keep what happened today from happening. I never tried to be someone I'm not. Now, come on, you need rest just as much as I do."

"Edward?" Bella asked, lying her head on his shoulder and cuddling into his side.

"Yeah, baby?" he asked with a yawn.

"Were you happy when you found out I wasn't pregnant?"

His expression and loss for words told her he wasn't expecting that one. Already half asleep he said, "I wasn't unhappy...but I wasn't ecstatic either...I mean I wouldn't have been upset if you were. Does it matter, love?"

"No. I was just wondering what you thought about it."

"Goodnight, love."

Bella looked up at his face, his eyes slowly closing. She was glad the pills were kicking in but she worried about what would happen the next day. Happy that there was no school on Sunday, she thought about what had transpired with Rosalie and how much Edward cared about what happened with Jasper. Also, there was definite community where the department was concerned and she was glad for it. She had a feeling that she was going to need support, just like her mother had with her father's career.

**I'm loving the reviews as always :) We're close to 400 and I'm super pumped about it! The next update should be sometime tomorrow! LP xoxo**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 27**

Around eight o'clock the next morning, Bella woke up to something freezing cold on her leg. Scooting away, half asleep, she soon felt little hairs in her face. "Momma. Time to get up!" Kaley said, untimely loud for the early hour and peering right into Bella's face.

"Shhh, quiet, kaley. Daddy's still sleeping."

"Daddy!"

"Kaley! Quiet!" Bella said in a hushed scolding tone.

It didn't help. Edward's eyes opened and he went to sit up. His whole body froze and Bella watched as his abs tightened and his mouth turned down into a frown. "Is is bad?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." It came out out curt and she could tell he was in pain.

"What do you need me to do? Here, let me heat up these heating pads, just lie back down..."

"I've got to move, work out the muscles."

"Daddy want up!" Kaley said, reaching out to him.

"Honey, come here," Bella tried holding her arms out in the hopes that Kaley would go to her instead, she realized she should have known better.

"Want daddy..." Kaley said, almost like an apology.

"Daddy needs you to go to mommy for a little bit, okay?" He inched his way to the edge of the bed and as he swung his legs over, Bella's eyes widened. The area around the stitches were so raw they looked like welds. The bruises were a nasty blue and she could tell the area near his tail bone was swollen. He pushed himself up and leaned against the bedside table.

"Do you want me to call the hospital?"

"No. I'm alright, I just need to move around, I'm stiff."

"Alright, I'll get you two some breakfast," Bella replied as Kaley was playing with her hair.

Pulling out a frying pan after depositing Kaley on the couch and turning on cartoons, Bella heard the bathroom door open and close. She breathed a little easier knowing he was moving but his injuries looked nasty and she was worried for him. "French toast or eggies, little bug?"

"Eggies!" Kaley yelled, taking the juice and water cup Bella held out to her.

"Alright, I'll get eggies, you go take off your diaper and we'll get a big girl Pull-up on you."

She watched Kaley trudge off the couch and back to her little bathroom. When she was satisfied that Kaley was okay, she went back to the kitchen and got breakfast underway. Kaley came out and handed her a Pull-up which she helped her into. "I wanna go see Daddy!" Kaley said with a smile.

"Honey, just watch TV for now. Daddy needs a few minutes by himself."

"I help?" Kaley asked, pointing to the stove.

Bella cracked an egg into a bowl and gave her a fork. "Mix 'em up!"

Kaley squealed and did a rather sloppy job, giggling the whole time. Bella just let her go, figuring she would need a bath anyway. When they were done messing up the kitchen, Bella grabbed one of the little TV trays with legs that Edward had for Kaley to eat and watch TV without getting food everywhere. She loaded it up with bacon, eggs, and toast, setting a glass of milk beside it and a pain pill. He was going to take that pill if she had to force him to take it.

"Breakfast is served," Bella said with a smile; Kaley was following close behind with her own bowl of plain scrambled eggs and plastic spoon.

"You don't have to cook like this for me..."

"I want to. Now eat before everything gets cold and take your medicine."

"I want the bacon and eggs but not the pill. Put it back in the bottle..."

"Nope. Take it. God, you are so stubborn..."

"Daddy take mecine!" Kaley pointed at him with a 'stern' look on her face, putting her hands on her hips after, mirroring Bella's stance. Her little egg bowl forgotten at the foot of the bed.

"Two against one isn't fair," laughed Edward, shaking his head at his daughter.

"Yeah-huh!"

Bella laughed and grabbed the bowl before it could fall, picking Kaley up, she held a spoonful of eggs out to her. While Edward ate, Bella fed Kaley and then went to clean up their dishes. The pill was still on the tray. "Alright. Fine," she huffed, "be in pain for the rest of the day."

She just had enough time to eat—after Edward made his way into the kitchen and made her, get Kaley bathed and dressed for the day, and get herself ready before there was a knock on the door. If it hadn't been for Peanut having a meltdown, she probably wouldn't have noticed it. She found Carlisle and Esme at the door, laughing at Peanut as he darted out the door, probably having to pee.

"How's he doing?" Esme asked, her face full of worry.

"I think it's worse than yesterday," she said, stepping aside to let them in.

"He's back in the bedroom, reading books to Kaley. Come on back."

Before Carlisle could walk away, Bella pulled him back. Esme continued on her way and when she was out of earshot Bella said, "Carlisle, it's bad. I thought about calling the hospital today...of course he's being stubborn about it. He won't even take the pain pills."

"I'll talk to him. Do you need us to do anything? I know this isn't easy on you, either."

Bella teared up from the kind vibes he was giving off. "No. Just make him better. I can't stand seeing him hurt like this."

"I'll try my best."

"Oh, and Carlisle?"

"Yeah?"

"I think what you did for Edward when he was younger is awesome. It takes a strong man to step up and be a dad."

"Well, thank you, Bella. Him and his mother mean everything to me. Though, I'm sure you know all about that. It takes an even stronger woman to step up and be a mother."

Edward was just drifting off to sleep, Kaley wide awake and flipping through the book he'd just read to her, when he heard her yell for Esme. His eyes flew open and he sat up a little, cringing from the mind-numbing pain wracking his body. "How are you feeling?" she asked, picking Kaley up and bouncing her.

"Fine."

"Edward, you're a terrible liar," she said dryly. "Thankfully, that's one trait you didn't inherit from..."

"Mom. Stop. Where's Carlisle?"

"Talking to Bella, he'll be in."

They started to talk about what went down the day before but Carlisle walked in then and asked her to wait outside. He figured Carlisle didn't want Esme to see his back, which was no doubt the main show for this particular visit from them. "Well, let's see it."

Leaning forward, Edward put great effort into not letting Carlisle know how much of an effort it really was. "It doesn't hurt that bad..."

"I didn't ask you if it hurt. It looks like you were hit by a bus but other than that it's okay. There doesn't appear to be any infections but you have some pretty nasty bruises. Here. Take this."

"Dad, I don't need..."

"Do you love Bella?" Carlisle asked without warning.

Edward looked at him like he was nuts. "What...of course..."

"Then what's up with this aversion to helping yourself get better?"

"The pills aren't making me better, they take away pain, there's a difference."

"Alright, smartass," Edward was taken aback—Carlisle never swore, "you're missing the point. Picture this, alright. Bella trapped under boards and breathing in smoke, unable to even call for help. Bella being loaded unconscious into an ambulance..."

"Dad. Stop." The images were making him sick and there was no way he could run for the bathroom like this.

"Nope. Keep listening. Bella having her back stitched up and in so much pain she can barely sit still. Now, Bella in bed, refusing to take pain pills forcing you to watch her deal with the absolute agony..."

"I get it!"

"You'd do anything you possibly could to help her...even if that means forcing them down her throat and you fucking know it. It's hard for her. You're hurting her!"

"Dad, you're a doctor! You know the side effects of those damn things. I can't even stay awake when I take them...and the nightmares are still fucking there...and I'm scared I might hurt one of them!"

"You won't. You are hurting them right now, though. Take the pill, Edward."

"I'm trying to be what everyone needs me to be." He was tearing up and tried to hide it, so not wanting to cry in front of his dad.

Carlisle nodded his head, knowing that he was no longer talking about the damned pills. "You need to stop doing that. Is it so bad to just be yourself?"

"I'm lost. Completely fucking lost. There are only two absolutelies in my life. The first, and always foremost is Kaley. Come hell or high water, that little girl will be taken care of, I don't care what I have to do to ensure that. The second is Bella. I love her more than I thought I could ever love someone after what Tanya did..."

"You've been given the opportunity to do so, Edward. You know what? I'm proud of you. You. Not the person you think everyone wants you to be. You're dedicated to the community but you're also dedicated to that little girl. You have your life back on track after you easily could have shut down. Most guys in your position would have let their wife leave, not even caring about the baby, and gone onto do whatever the hell they wanted. Did I want you to finish school? Yes. I did. Am I disappointed that you didn't? Yeah, at first I was. You've made a life for yourself and my granddaughter and you didn't take the easy way out. You didn't push her onto me and your mother. You didn't accept well enough. You are the dad who attends ballet recitals, softball games, bake sales, and your little girl is never going to question whether or not her father loves her.

"Your mother asked me the other day if I regretted that we never had a child together. My direct, honest response was no. You are_ my_ son. I don't care _whose_ blood is flowing in your veins. You were that scared little boy in my office years ago and you will always be the man I brag about to my friends when they pull out their wallets and show pictures of their families. The choice is yours, Edward. What do you want out of life? Fuck everyone else's opinion."

"I want to go back to school but I don't want to finish my law degree. I could easily live comfortably with the job I have now but it's not what I want to do and I'm not happy. Bella wants me to go back, hell she told me to do that over pursuing the divorce. Tanya signed the papers, by the way, so it won't come to that. I want to get a degree in Sociology, I want to have the time to be there for Kaley-which I could never have trying to finish law school, I want to marry Bella, and I want another baby."

"Then do it."

Edward gaped at him. He'd expected another lecture, at least concerning school. "Really?"

"Yeah. Why not? Edward, quit doing what you_ think_ is the right thing and actually _do_ the right thing."

"Besides school, I need your opinion on one more thing. Dad, I don't want to leave the department but Bella is right, I can't leave Kaley if something happens. I know you and mom are more than capable but Bella needs to be with her. They need each other."

"Well, then Bella needs to adopt her officially. Of course, we wouldn't come between them but you need to make it legally binding either way."

"Yeah, right. Dad, we aren't even married. If something were to happen with us..."

"Then wait until you are. Look, your back is going to put you out of the running for fireman of the year for at least a few weeks. Even then, I can't see the doctor suggesting you go back anytime soon. Take some time off, if hearing those sirens make you crazy for being unable to go, then don't quit."

Bella, Esme and Kaley were watching Max and Ruby, talking about how stubborn Edward could be, and discussing Rosalie's baby shower. When Carlisle came out, he gave her a knowing look and promised that Edward wouldn't be a problem where pain pills were concerned for awhile. When they left, Bella went back to see if he was up for coming out into the living room with them but found him sound asleep. Smiling, she closed the door and went to get Kaley lunch. Less than an hour later, Peanut went nuts again and Bella about jumped out of her skin. Besides the TV and the sound of crayons on paper, the place had been silent.

She opened the door to Emmett and Rosalie, "Hey guys."

"Hey. We wanted to stop over and check on you guys. James and Annie are over at Jasper's as we speak, they'll probably be over shortly. Oh, and here, we made you some food."

"You really didn't have to..." Bella began, taking the two containers from her, and leading them up the stairs. Kaley ran over for Rosalie to pick her up and Emmett tickled her tummy by way of hello. Opening up the bigger container, she saw that it was a lasagna. The one cake pan on top was split in two and there was garlic bread on one side and cookies on the other. "Wow. Seriously, Rose, you didn't have to do all of this!"

"Em actually did most of the cooking. I just baked the cookies."

"You cook?" Bella asked, impressed that this big guy knew his way around the kitchen.

"Em cooks most nights actually." Rosalie said proudly, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her husband.

"So, where is he?" Emmett asked, looking around the living room and kitchen.

"In bed. I hate to do this but Esme and Carlisle just left. He really needs sleep. Could we not wake him up?"

"That's fine! How's he doing, though?" Rosalie asked, concern clear on her face.

"If you ask him he'll tell you nothing's wrong. If you see his back and watch him try to walk you know he's lying," Bella said, with a small laugh.

"He's stubborn. Always has been."

"I'm learning that very quickly."

"Bells?" Edward called from the bedroom.

Bella sighed and smiled, "Well, that lasted long. I'll go let him know you're here."

Before she could get back to him, she saw the bedroom door open and he made his way out. "What do you need? Go back to bed..."

"I need to move around."

"Well, Rose and Em are here. Come visit."

"You know I'm getting sick and tired of carrying your ass! Drunken nights, smoke inhalation, it's all the same, Cullen!" Emmett's voice boomed from the living room when he spotted Edward.

"Language!" Edward yelled back with a smirk. Kaley was pulling on Edward's sweatpants, trying to get him to pick her up as he came down the hallway.

To his credit, he didn't pick her up but reached down and took her hand instead. When she saw Rosalie, she ran over and hugged her. "Why don't you guys let me take her for the day?"

Bella sighed, not knowing what to say. Before Edward could say anything, Bella ignored her question and said, "Why don't we go outside with Kaley? It's beautiful out today. We'll let the guys have some man time."

"Alright," Rose laughed, heading for the stairs to go to the door.

When they were outside and Kaley was chasing Peanut around the yard, Bella got straight to the point. It was blurted out, something she hadn't planned. "Rose, you need to back off." Not letting her say anything, she dove in with an explanation. "I get it. I have Jake...you're Edward's Jake...just not as bad as Jake...anyway...you need to give me the chance to learn how to raise Kaley. I'm not trying to be a bitch, I just need to know that you trust me with them. Just because Edward's down doesn't mean I am."

Rosalie seemed to be thinking for a little while and quietly said, "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to him having someone. I told him at the hospital that I have faith in you but I just want him to know if you have something going on and you can't be there that I am right here. I don't want him to think that he's burdening me by asking for help. Either one of you, really. I'm glad you came when you did, though. With this little one coming, I'm not going to have that time to put in and I know it's not fair to Emmett if I try."

"I'm not trying to be mean about it either. Believe me, it's nice having a sitter if we'd want to go out one evening or if something comes up with school and he has to work. It's just that you and Edward's relationship sometimes makes me...I guess uncomfortable is kind of what I'm going for..."

"Bella, enough said. I just need to know that you aren't going to up and leave him. I can't begin to explain how bad it hurt to watch what happened with Tanya. He deserves someone like you and our relationship is the way it is because we've been through a lot together. I don't really know where I'm going with this..." her voice trailed off.

Bella gave a small laugh. "I know exactly what you're trying to say. Jake's mom died a few years ago. I grew up with him, like you and Edward. With my dad being a Seattle police officer, Jake got me through a lot of rough nights. I get it."

Rosalie was smiling and watching Kaley. "Don't hurt them, Bella."

"I wouldn't. I really, really love them. I do need your help with something though..."

"Anything. What do you need?"

"I'm scared...about him getting hurt. He's doing really dangerous work and I'm terrified something is going to happen to him."

"I was the same way when I met Emmett. He was a firefighter before we met and it was really all he knew. Em's dad was a fireman and he grew up with it. I think for Edward, it became an escape. I don't mean running into burning buildings, I mean it gave him a sense of brotherhood. He didn't get along with people in high school, he was way shy and having a best friend who's a girl gets you strange looks when you're in middle school. In high school, he used to get into fights a lot. I still think low self-esteem was the root of evil when it came to Tanya."

"You're kidding, right? Edward. My Edward? Low self-esteem?"

"I know, right?"

"I mean, he's fucking hot..." Bella couldn't even comprehend someone not finding Edward attractive. Anytime they were out in public women couldn't keep their eyes off of him.

"I'm pleading the fifth on that one. Anyway, he met her and she showed him the attention he was looking for. He had been working his ass off during school and I know there were a few girls but never anything remotely serious. Then Tanya came along and the bitch ruined him."

"I don't think he's ruined..."

"No, not ruined. Hurt. Very, very hurt. Broken."

"I'm going to fix him. I'm going to help him fix himself. It's not fair, Rose."

"And that's exactly why I'm pulling for you, Bells. You need a friend to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, someone to get through those late nights...anything. I'm here for both of you."

"Thanks." Even as she said it, her true best friend was walking across the lawn towards them. Kaley was playing in the other yard by the big hill and Bella called her back over.

"How's Jazz?" Bella asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head in concern.

Alice shrugged, "Alright. He's in a bit of pain but it's not as bad as it could have been. How's Edward?"

"Tired. The pain pills are making him drowsy but I'm okay with it. He's in a lot of pain and I'd rather him get rest then be up suffering."

"Jasper's coming over any minute with James and Annie. They want to see him."

"Alright, I better go give him a heads up. Come on, Kaley, let's go get daddy."

**Sorry I couldn't get this to you sooner, it's bridal shower weekend as I've mentioned before. There probably won't be an update tomorrow and I'll try very hard to get one out Sunday. If not, the every day updates will continue Monday. Thanks for all the love and support! I was nice and didn't give you a cliffie :) Do know that I'm currently trying to figure out how to work this story. I'm thinking about just making it one big long one with a lot of chapters. In which case, we'll be skipping ahead in time a little in future chapters. I just think it's easier to keep updating this way instead of making a whole new story for part 2. Have a great weekend in case you don't hear from me tomorrow. I hate to do this to you but I have to enjoy real life once in awhile :) LP xxoo**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 28 **

Bella sat back and observed the way Annie and James treated Edward, if she didn't know better, she might have thought Edward was their son. Annie brought food as well—baked solely by her. Now, besides the lasagna, they also had a ham and potato casserole with a big bowl of salad and an apple pie. From the minute Bella opened the door she felt only warmth from both of them and immediately felt welcomed into their little fireman's circle. Annie apologized up and down for not making it to the hospital the night before while James filled Edward in on what happened after they took him and Jasper.

"I'm going to run in and put this stuff in the fridge," Bella said, looking at Kaley.

"I've got her, Bells. She's fine," Edward assured her.

"Alright..."

Going back in the house, she saw that his pills were to be taken every four hours and was doing the math to see if it was time again, when she heard the door open behind her. It was obvious that Annie was exhausted, the bandanna covering her head was a strong reminder of what the woman was contending with. "Annie, come sit down in the living room..."

"I'll be fine, dear. I wanted to speak with you," she said, a little breathless.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, hearing the seriousness in her tone, and leading her to the couch anyway.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine..."

"You're scared. I can see it on your face. You don't want him to do this anymore."

Bella opened her mouth and closed it, not sure of what to say, but deciding to be truthful. Opening her mouth again, she sighed and said, "It's nothing against any of you. You're all wonderful. I just know what it's like to sit at home, waiting to hear whether or not someone you love is okay, and I don't know that I can do it for the rest of my life."

"I hate it, Bella. I agree with you completely. James started this when we were first married and I had my doubts. Big time. We couldn't have children and over the years, as he grew older and became chief, the boys kind of became the children we never had. I'm not going to try to sway you either way. I'm not going to say anything along the lines of what you should do. All I'm going to say is if you ever need anything, you just have to ask. We're a family and you're not alone to deal with any of this. I will tell you that James has been hearing rumors about us merging with the next county over, we're both very small and it would be a huge help.

"With that said, perhaps he should consider rethinking this. I don't know what you two have really talked about. Like I said, either way, we're here for both of you...and Kaley. If there's anything that I've learned throughout this whole damned experience with cancer is that if you don't live your life, you'll never have one. Life's too short to waste it on things we don't want to do."

"Thanks, Annie. We're going to sit down and talk about everything but I want to wait until he's better. This has to be his decision. I would never force him or throw an ultimatum at him. I do want you to know that whatever he decides, he loves all of you guys. A lot. You, James, the guys, are all the reason he's apart of this."

"Well, we love having him. We could always use him for other things too. Training some newer kids, taking care of equipment, if he's serious about leaving but is dragging his feet over it, we could always find other things to keep him apart of us."

"He'd like that and I'll definitely mention it to him."

"Alright, dear. Well, I wish we could stay longer but I'd like to take a short nap."

"What kind of cancer does Annie have?" Bella asked quietly, the two of them were sitting outside watching Kaley chase Peanut around a tree.

Edward sat back and painful memories started to come. "Breast cancer."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They were silent for awhile, an almost awkward pause, before Edward finally cleared his throat and said what he felt. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

He tried to think of how to answer that one. He wasn't sorry that he was a part of the department but he was sorry for scaring her and not being there the day before. He wondered if the latter mattered without the former. "I never wanted to hurt you. I would never want that..."

"I know..."

"I'm still afraid that this is all too much at once for you. Like I'm going to do something and you're just going to leave. I know this is a lot. You're dating someone who has a daughter, a dangerous job, another job that is actually normal and pays well, and who has a crazy ex-wife."

"Ex being the key term there."

"I just feel like it was all too easy. I don't know why she did it now. I don't know what she wants..."

"It truly doesn't matter. She did it. You're divorced. Single. Able to remarry."

"Is that what you want?"

"You to be divorced?" Bella looked at him, obviously totally confused.

"No. The marriage thing." He immediately regretted asking.

"I...I don't know...I mean..."

"It's fine. You have your whole life to decide. No rush. We do need to discuss what's going to happen now, though."

"I want to be with you." Edward couldn't help but chuckle, she blurted it out without even a second thought.

"I want to be with you, too."

"Edward, I love you. You know I love you. I know you love me. I just can't help but wonder, I mean you just got a divorce...are you sure that ya know you don't want to be single?" Edward, who was watching Kaley, swung his head back to her in a way that almost made him pull a muscle in his neck.

"No. Bella, I've been on my own for the past two years. It never got easier and it's never going to be easier. I love you. I want this. Forever."

"Good. I think I do, too."

It became quiet between them, neither knowing what to say. It was clear that both of them wanted to be with each other in the long term but how that was going to fall into place was still a mystery. "It's going to be awhile until we figure everything out, baby. This isn't going to happen overnight."

"I know."

"Do you want to go out for lunch?"

"No. I want to go in and heat up that casserole Annie brought over while you relax."

"I was hoping to take you both out for a little while today..."

"Nope. Come on. We have the rest of our lives to go out. Kaley will be just as happy with you curled up on the couch with her than she would be if we went somewhere."

"Alright. Fine. The first day you let me out of the house I already know where I'm taking you."

The next couple of days passed by relatively easy. On Tuesday, they made their way to see the doctor. To Edward's discouragement, he was told to take off the rest of the week. The law firm was already giving him trouble on the days he'd already asked for. With the funeral and now his injury, he was out of vacation days, sick days, and personal days...not that he'd had that many to begin with considering all the days pre-Bella that he had to take off with Kaley. Work had been finally going well for him, more stable, and now this.

In the car, Bella looked at him. "Not the news you wanted, huh baby?" she asked softly, reaching over and rubbing his arm.

"No."

The car stayed silent the whole way home, it was obvious to Bella that he was about to shut down and she decided to let him. She learned quickly that Edward was a very independent person. He didn't like to rely on others for anything—no matter who they were. The only thing Bella wouldn't allow him to do was lift Kaley, anything else she just let him go. From taking out the garbage to helping her with the dishes, he wouldn't be discouraged. The only other thing Bella was hesitant on was the idea of him cutting grass.

Since Jasper's arm was out of order, he was unable to take care of his yard...or help Edward with theirs. This was exactly how the knock down, drag out fight between her and Edward began. Sure, there was a lot of tension between them that accounted for most of this ridiculous fight: Edward wanting to go back to work, Bella stressed from midterms, Edward wanting to help her with things, Bella telling him constantly to rest, Edward getting cabin fever...the list went on and on.

So, on Wednesday, after Bella's appointment, she went home to Rosalie and Edward who were having a rather heated discussion. It was over Tanya and Bella was worried. The two of them never fought and she didn't want to interrupt. Kaley was napping and the fight was taking place right inside the front door. She stopped and listened while watching through the little window in the door. Rosalie had found out about Tanya's treatment of Kaley.

"_Rose, seriously, just stay the hell away from her! I'm serious!" Edward whispered harshly, pulling his hair every which way._

"_Why should I? What does it matter to you anyway? Don't fucking tell me you still have feelings for her!"_

"_Of course I don't but that doesn't give you a reason to get involved in this."_

"_I want to rip her fucking throat out...and feed it to her!"_

"_Rose. Please. Just let it go, okay. It's over. It happened and now there is nothing we can do..."_

"_You let her go with Tanya. _Bam_. First damn mistake and something that you _did_ do!"_

"_What do you want me to say? That I'm a sorry excuse for a father? Does it feel better to hear it although we all fucking know? Well, there. I said it. I'm a fuck up who doesn't know what he's doing and is solely responsible for Kaley getting sick because I fucked up. There."_

"_That's not fair and it's a bunch of bullshit!"_

"_What do you want from this? You want to beat the crap out of her? Fine. Do it. End up in jail for assault."_

"_I want her to give a shit. I want her to sit back for ten seconds and realize what she missed out on. I want her to pretend that she fucking cares about her daughter...and you!"_

"_It doesn't matter! I don't want her to want me or Kaley. I want her to leave us the hell alone and let me be happy with Bella. That's what I want, Rose!"_

Bella smiled at that but felt awkward standing outside of the front door, eavesdropping on their conversation. So, she decided she heard enough and headed to the little door on the outside of the house. She walked into the little closet cellar and pulled out the lawn mower. Looking back, she probably should never have done it with him obviously so upset. She should have interrupted, played negotiator between the two of them. Instead, she started it up and went to work.

As always, the yard itself was pretty easy. She watched Rosalie eventually leave and Edward eventually made his way into the yard to argue with her. Over the loud motor, he yelled for her to turn it off, that he'd get it, claiming that he was feeling better and this wouldn't be that hard for him to do. She shook her head stubbornly and kept going, the whole time, thoughts bubbled in her mind for what must have happened with Tanya for Rosalie to have found out. Had he seen her? Had she stopped by? Or worse...did Rosalie know something she didn't even want to hear?

"Bella! Turn it off!"

A million things were on her mind. A research paper needed done for Monday, she had two midterms Tuesday, Edward still wasn't deciding about her taking Kaley to Seattle, and now Tanya was back in the picture. Stress was definitely not the word she would have chosen...although, the word may have been overwhelmed. So, when Edward yelled to her again, she lost it. It wasn't fair but frustration got the best of her.

"What? What the hell is wrong with me mowing the fucking lawn? What?"

"Nothing..."

"You know what, here you go. Deal with it. Pull more muscles. See if I care...not that it would matter because I'm just a child. Right? I'm just some college kid who doesn't know what she wants and obviously can't keep a boyfriend. What the hell happened with Tanya, Edward? What?"

"What's your problem? I'm just trying to help and you really don't need to do that..."

"I know. You can do it. Blah blah blah. Well, guess what? Maybe I don't fucking want to anymore!" She pushed the mower away slightly and made for the house.

"Bella! What's wrong..."

"I'm tired and your stubborn ass isn't helping!" she yelled it over her shoulder, wondering herself why she was getting this upset. The answer she gave was definitely part of it but the school stress was really starting to build. She knew it wasn't fair to take things out on him but she had laid awake all night the night before wondering how the hell she was going to pull off student teaching and taking care of Kaley.

He let her walk away, something she was grateful for. Kaley was still sleeping so she went in quietly and headed to the little office to grab her laptop and get to work on three lesson plans she needed to prepare for FP the next day. To Edward's credit, he didn't finish mowing, and he was back in the house within five minutes after she entered.

He walked into the kitchen, where she was sitting at the table, and said, "I'm going to keep Kaley this weekend."

Bella's heart sunk but she didn't look up from her computer. "How? You're still planning to go with the guys..."

"I'm going to let you decide who she stays with. Either my mom or Rosalie. It's your decision but I want you to take a break. Go to Seattle, spend some time with friends, and think about what you want to do. Bella, I know you're overwhelmed and you can keep pretending you're not but I'm not going to. Things are only going to get harder next semester."

"I don't care who she stays with, either one of them are fine," Bella said quietly, going back to typing. She had never meant to let him think she didn't want Kaley around—she had wanted to take her—and still did. Maybe he was right, they'd done all of this so fast. Could she handle things next semester?

"Well, then, I'd rather she stay with Rose. Emmett's going to be away too and Kaley will give her some company," he responded, looking concerned and confused all at the same time. She watched him open the cupboard and take out a pain pill. At least he was handling that well now—whatever Carlisle said had done the trick. She didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything.

The next day, things were still the same with them. She went in at eight to teach and got home at four. Rosalie had come the other days but Edward called her the night before and told her he'd be okay with Kaley on his own. Bella came home after a long day to dinner being done and Emmett showed up around seven to cut their grass. With the week behind her and her having Friday off, she felt better, refreshed—and looking forward to Seattle.

"I'm going back to school," Edward said in bed that night, "I'm going to wait until you're done with school but then I'm going back. I'll do night classes and go through the summer. I should finish in a little under two years...having the undergrad already helped a lot. I just need the core classes. I plan to work full time and will enroll her in daycare all five days. She's getting older and I think it's time she gets used to being around the other kids more. She likes to go..."

"Are you okay with all of that?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Alright," she agreed, a strange feeling forming in her stomach.

While Bella assumed she would take care of her in the evening while he was in class, he never directly said it and that scared her. Obviously, his mom or Rosalie would be able to take her during that time, she wasn't really needed. He could easily live out that plan with or without her there. She couldn't leave them, not permanently but it made her wonder if Edward really did want her there for the long haul. She honestly_ didn't _know if she could do it. Maybe they _were_ just playing house and just like when she was little, when the game was over, she'd be single and on her own.

She watched Edward from her pillow, the way his hair fell over his face—wet from his shower, the way his nicely muscled chest rose and fell as he breathed, and those eyes—oh those eyes. She loved him so much it hurt to think about and it nearly killed her to think about losing him. As had become routine, just when she couldn't handle looking at him anymore, and just as he was starting to turn towards her, she turned away and faced the wall.

Bella didn't sleep much, waiting for Edward's breathing to even out, she thought about the last time they'd had sex. She couldn't even remember. They had only been together three times since their relationship started...surely that wasn't normal. Maybe she had overestimated their relationship. She tried not to cry but the tears began to soak her pillow anyway. In the months she'd been away from Seattle, there was never really a time when she felt homesick. Now, leaving to go back in less than forty eight hours, she never missed her parents and Jake more. As she laid there, silently praying he'd wake up and hold her—though knowing he'd taken his pill and would be out for hours, she realized how conflicted she felt. She tried to figure out where she belonged until she eventually drifted into a restless sleep.

**Thanks for the wedding wishes! The shower was beautiful and I was in awe over the effort everyone put in. Some of you may remember Cait as my beta for Waiting for the End, she is my maid of honor :) I can't believe all of the wonderful reviews and feedback I'm receiving and hopefully, now that things are calmer, I can get caught back up with my writing. Until next time, LP xxoo**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 29**

Bella didn't know how it happened. This never happened...even when there wasn't an awkward distance between them...they never woke up like this. After not falling asleep until much later than she should have, Bella woke up with one arm folded and tucked between her and Edward and one arm holding tightly to him. He was facing her as well, both of his arms pulling her close and one creating a pillow for her. When she opened her eyes, she was met with Edward's green ones.

He smiled that crooked smile and she had to wonder if maybe this was all a dream. She went to pull away from him, wanting to get up and use that bathroom, when he sighed before letting her go. "You woke me up last night when you were clinging to me. I was hoping it would last."

She didn't know what he meant by that but he seemed to be throwing in the proverbial towel and Bella couldn't stand how rejected he looked. "Edward..."

"It's fine. I have to go back to the doctors today. Jasper's still going to keep an eye on Kaley. Do you still plan to come with me?"

"Yeah...yeah..."she said, nodding her head violently, "absolutely."

"I'm going to go...um...check on Kaley," he said, pushing the covers back and pulling himself up off the bed. His shirt was off and Bella saw that the bruises were all a strange yellow color—which meant he was healing. If all was well, the doctor said they could cut the stitches out today. There was no way she wasn't going to be there.

After a hot shower and digging through her warm cardigans, Bella was ready to face her two year old and the cold weather. Fall was there with a fury and she reminded herself to tell Edward they needed to get both him and Kaley some warmer clothes...when Bella went to get clothes out of the little girl's closet, she realized a lot of them were too small...even though there were bought recently.

"Mommy!" Kaley squealed, waving a pink plastic fork in the air.

"Morning, baby!" Bella cooed, kissing her cheek and heading back out to let Peanut go to the bathroom. Jasper walked over and came back in with her. "Alright, Jazz, we won't be too long. There is a jacket on the bench downstairs as well as her sneakers in case you want to go outside."

"You have my cell number. Call if you need anything. The emergency numbers are on the fridge, including my dad's number..." Edward rambled.

"Call him first if it's a medical emergency and then call you...got it. Edward, this isn't my first time watching her, man."

"I know. I just worry...want some coffee?" he asked, pouring Bella a hot cup of tea and handing it to her.

"No, thanks."

As they launched into something about cars, Bella looked out the window. Fall had always been her favorite time of year. The beautiful trees, Halloween, school, haunted houses, and even football games that Charlie watched religiously even though she had no clue what was going on. Ever. That's when she decided what was really wrong. She needed to go to Seattle, get this homesickness out of her system, and then things would be fine. She was stressing over nothing. That's all it was. Unnecessary stress.

"Max, I hate to tell you this but no matter what the verdict, I'm going back to work Monday," Edward told the kind man and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Well, I think things look okay. I don't see why you couldn't. The stitches are ready to come out and the bruises are fading. Still no heavy lifting."

"I can handle that," Edward confirmed, shifting so that the doctor could get to work on the thread. Bella watched from a seat in front of him, much like the last time, but not holding his hands.

Halfway through the visit, her cell phone went off and seeing that it wasn't Jasper, she shut it off—embarrassed. "I'm sorry..."

"No problem," Max smiled, going back to what he was doing.

When he was done and Edward had his shirt back on, they discussed the pain pills and he gave him a different prescription of something else with a lower dose. They dropped it off at the pharmacy on the way home to be picked up later—even though Bella was pretty sure he didn't need them and wouldn't take them-and eventually Edward broke through their silence to ask who had called her. "Jake. Probably about this weekend. I'll call him later."

"Oh. Alice is going, too, right?"

"Yeah," Bella rolled her eyes again, as much as he said he was okay with Jake, she knew better.

When they got home, Bella stayed outside to call her favorite Seattle neighbor. He answered and asked how she was, when she was coming, and if Alice was coming with her all in a rush. "Hello to you, too," she laughed.

"Sorry, I guess hello could have been more appropriate..."

"It's fine. I'm coming tomorrow, I'm hoping to be there by lunchtime."

"You're only staying one night?"

"Yeah..." Bella realized she wouldn't mind leaving sooner, wanting more than anything to go home and vent to her mom and Alice. Jake would never know the situation with her and Edward. No way in hell was she going there with him.

"Alright. Well, I bet it will cheer Embry and Leah up big time if they get to see you. Stop over when you get to your dad's. Is that where you're staying?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take you over to Embry's then."

"Sounds like a plan. I don't know what Alice's plans are..."

"You? _You_ don't know what Alice Brandon's plans are? You two can't function without each other!" Bella gave a small, sad smile, trying to remember when the last time she even spent time with Alice—really spent time with her—had been. The scary part was she was talking to Rosalie these days more than Alice and that was ridiculous. "Bella? Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay...see ya then," he said it as if disheartened by their conversation.

While Edward watched Bella call Jake from the kitchen window, he called Alice. Unsure of what the actual problem was with him and Bella, he didn't give her a lot of details but explained that Bella was really stressed and needed a friend. He had been tiptoeing around her for days, afraid she was going to run. There was a reason a lot of people didn't have kids while they were in college, it was a lot of stress and he was worried she couldn't handle it.

He knew he had to get things figured out on his end but he had already figured out that he wanted to be with her and he didn't care how would get it but he would. She said it was what she wanted as well but it was obvious she was unsure of things. He remembered the way she was trying to pull him towards her last night, waking him from his drug induced sleep. Every night since the argument they'd had, he wanted to just reach over and hug her. Every time he went to do it, she would turn away from him.

Her body pressed against him that way tested his will power to no end. Of all the girls he'd had over the years, he could never get enough of Bella. The turtle pace their sexual relationship was going was enough to drive him crazy, thankfully the pills dialed down that urge. He wondered when the last time they'd been together that way was, when the last he kissed her, held her...told her he loved her...

"Daddy, you be pwince chaming!" Kaley shouted, dancing around in her little Cinderella dress.

"In a minute, little bug. I have to go talk to mommy real quick..."

"Okay..."

Edward went out when he saw her heading back to the house. He needed to at least say those three little words that he prayed could fix things. He smiled when he saw her striding towards the house, it looked like she was lighter, darkness no longer dragging her down. He opened his mouth, the words on his tongue, but what she said first shook him. "I was wondering if you would mind me going today after Alice gets back from class...instead of tomorrow?"

It was a simple request to go visit her family and friends a day early. Hardly a huge blow to him but it felt that way and the why of it all scared him to death. He willed her to see the 'please don't go' on his face as he muttered the words to go and have fun. She kissed him on the cheek and said thank you before heading past him into the house.

While Bella packed, his head spun with thoughts of how happy she was to get away from him. He should have just taken the damn pills, he should have let her mow the grass...were these petty little things really the issue? Something much, much deeper was going through her own head, he was sure of it. He reached over to turn on the little radio and put in a Ludovico Einauidi cd, he had always been a fan of instrumental music, allowing Kaley to really pretend she was at a ball. He didn't feel much like a prince, though, he felt more like an evil villain. Just as she was asking if he wanted to dance, the phone rang and he got up to get it. It was Esme, asking if she could take Kaley to his Aunt Liz's that evening. She promised to keep her overnight and drop her off at Rosalie's the next day, knowing he'd be gone. After reluctantly agreeing to let her go, and even more reluctantly agreeing to let her spend the night, he plopped down on the couch. Now, he had a whole night free to himself and Bella wouldn't be around.

Jasper eventually arrived with Alice, who was dancing around like a crazy little pixie excited to go home. Unlike him, Jasper seemed completely at ease over the whole situation...though he highly doubted his friend was sharing the same fears he had. "Hey, man, we're all going to the bar tonight. Even James is coming out."

"You should go, Edward. If your mom takes Kaley, you'll be here by yourself all night..." Bella urged, with a smile.

"I guess..." he said quietly, grabbing Bella's bags to carry them out to her car. When the stockpile of make-up, clothes, and shoes accumulated by Bella and Alice was loaded up, he walked her over to the drivers side and opened her door. "I'll miss you."

"I know. I'll miss you, too. Call me later tonight, alright?"

"Yeah. Be careful driving. Call if you need anything. I love you, Bells," he whispered, kissing her gently, feeling slightly high just from finally getting to say those words to her.

"I love you. I'll be home in a couple of days. Remember what we talked about—no lifting and watch the physical activity. I'm serious. Those muscles are finally starting to heal up." He promised her he'd be careful and closed her door after she climbed in. It hurt to watch her leave, wishing they could have taken advantage of his mom having Kaley so the two of them could have an evening to talk. 

Later that night, Edward was handed a shot by Emmett. "You've barely drank anything and that's not cool. Drink this." Edward rolled his eyes and slammed it back. "Now what the hell is making you so mopey and weepy?"

Edward wasn't drinking a whole lot because he knew they all had to be up early the next day. He couldn't deny that the burn felt good though. "Bells left for Seattle."

"So you're solo tonight?" Emmett asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah..." Edward looked down at his mug, playing with the condensation.

"Come on, man. We have shit to celebrate! You're officially a divorcee, I'm going to be a dad—which is scary as hell for all involved. It's good times, my good man, good times!"

Jasper walked up to them and patted Edward on the back. "The girls made it to Seattle safely, that's reason on it's own to celebrate."

"It's them coming back that I'm worried about..."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I threw too much at Bella at once. I'm worried about her. I'm worried she's going to run."

"Well, look at it this way, she has Ally. She has to come back," Jasper smirked.

"Alright, enough of all this whiny crap. Bartender, I need a shot of Wild Turkey for all my dear friends here," Emmett gestured in a circle over the group of them, setting a hundred dollar bill down on the bar.

"Yeah, man. You just need to have a couple drinks and relax a little. Bella loves you. You two will figure this out."

Two shots later, Billy Joel's _We Didn't Start the Fire_ was blaring from the speakers and the guys were on the dance floor. The song had become sort of like an anthem to them and Edward had been dragged out by Emmett when it started. He found himself clumsily swaying along to the song, wondering if maybe Jazz was right, maybe he did just need a few drinks and some relaxation. He was off the pills and Jasper drove so he wasn't being as careful as he would otherwise be but at least he was less tense.

Tyler had pointed out to everyone the group of girls with pink tank tops that had Greek letters across their chests. They were looking at the guys with definite interest and Tyler was really the only one paying any attention, having bought one of the blondes a beer. The interaction had stopped at that but Edward caught them looking at him a few times. As he made his way back to the bar, he ordered a water and waited for it. One of the Greek girls, a small brunet made her way over, standing close enough that their sides were touching. "Hey," she said, her eyes looking him up and down.

"Hi."

Edward paid the bartender and went to turn around but she stopped him. "Would you like to dance?"

"No. Sorry," he went to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

"Oh, come on. One little dance. Surely you have time..."

"Look, I'm sure you're a nice girl but I'm taken."

"You're not wearing a ring."

He raised an eyebrow. "I have a girlfriend."

"Where is she?" the feisty little girl asked him. When he didn't answer she nodded her head, "Not here. See? She never has to know."

"I'm really not interested. I'm not something you want. I have a girlfriend and a daughter, besides the fact that I'm at least five years older than you..." his words made him want to roll his own eyes. Bella was five years younger, yet she bought into the whole package of him and his messed up life.

"I'm not looking for something long term..."

Edward decided to ignore her and made his way back over to the guys. Had she offered it even just three months ago he may have considered it but there was no way in hell he was going to hurt Bella like that. After everything with Tanya, he knew the pain that came with that type of betrayal. He just wanted to keep his distance from the pink squad, things between him and Bella were rocky enough already.

He was stepping outside about an hour later to call Bella when the girl in the pink walked out behind him. He went about his business, pulling his phone from his pocket and unlocking it. Watching the girl out of the corner of his eye, praying she was just heading to her car, he found her heading straight towards him. He went to back away and about walked into the dumpster on the other side of him as he was looking at his phone.

"Change your mind, yet?" she asked with a smirk.

Edward wasn't giving her the benefit of discussing it. Not again. As he went to move away from her, he tried to squeeze between her and the dumpster but just then everything happened at once. The door to the bar flew open and out stepped Jasper, Emmett, and the other guys as the girl pulled him to her and kissed him hard. He pursed his lips and turned his head but not before the guys had gotten a good show. "What the fuck are you doing?" Emmett asked, looking back and forth between him and the girl he was currently holding away from him at arms length.

The little brunet giggled before telling him to call her—though she never even gave him her number- and walking away. "Seriously, dude, what the fuck?" Jasper managed to get out.

"It's not how it looks," Edward said, feeling like it was exactly how it looked, "she came onto me. It didn't..."

"We saw you talking to her earlier tonight, man..." Jasper was saying as Tyler and James just shook their heads and walked to their cars.

"It was nothing, Jazz. I turned her down both times..."

"It looked to me like you were doing the exact opposite, my friend."

"You know what, I don't need this. I would never cheat on Bella. That bitch was just trying to prove something to herself. You think I would hurt Bella that way? Really?"

Jasper and Emmett both seemed to loosen up a little. Jasper sighed, "Alright. Your right. I'm sorry. Seriously, though, you should tell Bella it happened. If you don't and she finds out about it..."

Edward sighed, completely tired and still slightly buzzed. "Jazz, can you give me a ride home?"

"Don't let some little sorority girl ruin your night! It's not even midnight yet..."

"I need to call Bells anyway. Please."

Bella sat on the floor of Alice's childhood bedroom eating popcorn and watching an old horror movie. Jake had just left and they were discussing the Edward situation—for the hundredth time. A situation that Bella had sworn Alice to secrecy on. Jake would not know about this one. "I just don't know what to say or do and I'm terrified that he's going to realize he doesn't need me and that will be it."

"Bella, there is such a thing as two people being able to survive but still needing to be with each other. If he loves you, he'll need you no matter what his life is like."

"Then why does it feel like he's a million miles away when he's really in reaching distance? Why?"

"I don't know, Bells..."

"We've only slept together three times, Al. That's it."

"Oh..." Alice seemed to be deep in thought over that, both girls pretending to watch the movie in silence. There wasn't an explanation Alice could give and Bella doubted there was one that Edward could help her out with either. The ringing cell phone in Bella's overnight bag made both girls almost jump out of their skin. With a small laugh, Bella grabbed it and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Bella? Hey. It's me." The sound of his voice was a respite from the longing she felt for him, the small regret she felt for leaving early...something she still felt guilty for. In that voice, though, was exhaustion...and something that almost sounded like regret.

"You don't sound like yourself. Are you okay? Is it your back?" Bella blurted out quickly.

"No. Bella, I was calling to check on you anyway but something happened that I need to tell you about." Her stomach clenched as she thought of what could be so bad. Her mind drifted to Kaley then to Annie. Bella prayed no one was hurt and Annie looked absolutely run down the last time she had seen her. When she didn't say anything, he continued, causing her heart to squeeze tight just like her stomach. "Something happened with a girl."

**You are all too sweet with your reviews and encouragement! I saw some of you even checked out my other stories and left even more kind words for me! I freaking love you guys and wish that there was a way for me to update more but there just aren't enough hours in the day. Keep up the support and I'll keep the chapters coming :) I have a lot left to this story, I've decided to just make it a nice long one for you all but within the next couple chapters, things are going to skip ahead in time...not too far...but far enough. Until next time, LP xxxxxxxxx**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 30**

Bella sat on the carpeted floor, absolutely speechless, waiting for him to finish what he had to say. This could be it. This could really be it. If he slept with someone else she'd _have_ to walk away. Questions about where she would live, what would happen to her role as Kaley's mother, and even how she would survive without Edward slammed her from every direction. "There was a girl at the bar and she approached me. Wanting to dance. I told her no and thought that was that. Then, I went out to call you and she kissed me..."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, as if she could shut out the images in her head. Silent tears pooled on her cheeks and Alice watched on in horror. "She kissed you? Edward..." she whispered, betrayal shaking her very core.

"No. She _grabbed_ me and kissed me and I turned my head and _pushed_ her away. I'm telling you because I didn't want you to hear it from someone else. It meant nothing to me, other than pissing me off, and I had to tell you. I'm sorry." Bella sat there motionless, barely feeling strong enough to hold the phone to her ear. When she stayed quiet, Edward asked, "Bella? Bells, baby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Bella could tell by the tremor in his voice that he was crying and she couldn't help but let out a sob before saying quietly, "I need a break...we both do. We need to figure out what we want..."

"You're breaking up with me?" Edward asked, trying to catch his breath.

"No. I just need time. Give me this weekend, okay? Don't call...unless something is wrong with Kaley...or it's an emergency. I think this is good for both of us. I'll talk to you on Sunday..."

"No, Bella..." She hung up then, ending the call and sitting back against the bed. Alice was watching her intently and it took Alice grabbing her hand to get the tears to come out hard and fast. In her heart of hearts, she knew Edward would never cheat on her. She knew he wasn't lying. The idea of some girl kissing him though was enough to make her want to vomit. Alice held her as she rested her head on her best friend's lap. Bella cried it out while Alice played with her hair, telling her it would be okay.

When the sobbing stop and she was only sniffling, Alice reached above them and grabbed her own phone off the bed. Jasper answered on the first ring and Alice held a finger to her lips to signal to Bella to be quiet. "What the hell happened with Edward, Jazz? He called Bella and now she's really upset."

There was a loud sigh on the other end and Jasper said, "Some girl kissed him outside of the bar. I didn't see what transpired before we got there but I honestly think it was all the girl and not him. He was really upset and I took him home. Is Bella okay?"

"Yeah," Alice said, looking over at her friend, "she'll be fine. I think tonight was the straw that broke the camels back. It was a lot more than just some girl being a bitch. I think Bella just needs a rest."

"What's going on with those two lately? I really, really know he loves her..."

"I don't know, Jazz. I have to go. I just wanted to see what was going on. I love you."

Bella spent the night at the Brandon's and the next morning went to her mom's for a brunch/coming home celebration. "Why didn't you bring Edward?" was the first question out of her mother's mouth.

"It's nice to see you, too," Bella laughed. "He's at home. There's a training session for the guys this weekend and Kaley is staying with Rosalie."

"Come on, we can eat out on the porch, it's beautiful out."

When they were seated and done making small talk, Bella swallowed a piece of toast and asked, "How old were you when you had me?"

"Twenty-two...your age. Why?" her mom asked, glancing down at Bella's stomach.

"I'm not pregnant," she said dryly, "I'm having...issues with Edward..."

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah. I just keep thinking about the time I'm going to have to put in for school next semester and how much I miss everyone back home and how it hurts to be away from Edward and Kaley and we're not sleeping together..." Bella caught herself, her brain screaming at her to shut up before giving her mother way more details than she wanted about her sex life.

"It sounds like you're scared," Renee said pointedly, ignoring the sex reference.

"Terrified."

"Bella, can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with this man?"

"Yes." It came out with a conviction that surprised even Bella.

"Can you see yourself being there when Kaley loses her first tooth, graduates preschool, gets her first period, falls in love, has her heart broken...all of it?"

"Yes," Bella grinned, imagining the heart attack Edward was going to have the first time Kaley would bring home a boy.

"Then you need to look past this next semester and see what is going to make you happy for the rest of your life. No amount of money or time or whatever else people selfishly long for excess of can make you happy if you don't have people who you love around you. Look at your father and I. We had you the same year your father joined the force. He was out all the time fighting crime and I was stuck at home fighting you to go to sleep. Those were responsibilities that we both took on and we stuck with them. If we brought a child into this world, we sure as hell were going to give you the best we could. If he signed up to protect the community, he vowed to keep his word and do so. Sure it was hard. There were a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of fights, a lot of counting to ten before saying what you wanted because you knew you had to calm down first."

"So in other words, you reap what you sow."

"Why do you have to be so grim about things, Isabella? You have a very kind, very attractive man who obviously adores you and loves his daughter. You have his love and he has yours. So Kaley isn't yours—she doesn't have to know that and neither does anyone else. I know you're scared about school but you two will carry each other through and when you have a nice little classroom of your own and warm arms to go home to at night, those fears will be completely forgotten. As for the um...sexual relationship..." Bella groaned but Renee continued, "he's older than you, Bella. Has is ever occurred to you that he doesn't want to push you into something you aren't comfortable with? That maybe you just need to help him if it's what you want?"

"I guess I didn't...and you're right. I guess I really mess things up this time, huh?"

"No. You're being honest with yourself. Now, you need to be honest with him," Renee said quietly, staring off into the distance. She was still wearing her wedding rings.

"You don't want this do you? The divorce?" Bella asked even more quietly, setting down her fork.

"No," was all she said for a good minute but then she said with tears in her eyes, "things weren't exactly good between us all of the time. We fought about him being on the force, about bills, about...alot of stupid things that really don't matter. I was scared too and I walked away and now the distance that was between us before is more of a chasm that I will never be able to cross again. I got what I wanted, a life free of worry, but I still worry about him and now I'm not even there for him to come home to."

That struck a chord with Bella—actually it stuck many chords—enough to produce a rock concert. "You need to tell him." She didn't know if she was talking to herself or to her mother but Renee responded, anyway.

"I'm the one who walked away. How can I ask to go back? How could I possibly ask that after backing out and leaving him?"

"I don't know but I'd start somewhere along the lines of 'I miss you.'"

Edward watched as the only brothers he'd known, clad in orange thermal suits, rowed out into the cold waters just off of La Push Beach. While the water's temperature was low, ice rescue was something they would need to hold off on for a few months. Water rescue, however, was on the agenda for the day. They had brought some hot shot from somewhere around Lake Michigan to teach them what they needed to know. The problem—it was mostly hands on and he was nowhere near capable of training with them. Jasper wasn't either, which is why the two of them were looking off into the distance, wishing they could be out there with everyone else.

"Who has Kaley?" Jasper asked, breaking the silence.

"Rosalie."

After another long pause, he asked, "So how did things go with Bella?"

"Not good. I really don't know if this is going to last with her. Jazz, I fucking swear to you that I never meant for it to happen. Fuck, man, I was on my way to _call_ Bella when it happened."

"Well, what did she say?"

"She asked me not to call...unless it's an emergency. She said she wants to take a break this weekend, that we both need to figure out what we want."

"What_ do_ you want?"

"Her."

"You need to tell her."

"How can I after what I told her last night? That pain...it burns, Jazz. I know how bad it hurts. I emotional fucking scar tissue from how bad it hurts."

"I don't think you're getting the whole picture. I talked to Alice about it..."

Edward's head swung to face him, "What? What did she say?"

"She said that she thinks it broke something's back...I don't know...but I think she was trying to say that it was a lot of things rolled into one."

"Great, so she hates me on a good day. See, Jazz? This is exactly what I was afraid of. I didn't want to scare her off with all of my baggage..."

"Kaley isn't 'baggage'." Jasper said, looking surprised. Edward had never, ever, even hinted that he didn't want Kaley or that she was a burden to him.

"I wasn't talking about Kaley! Though, that's another issue on it's own. Hi. Nice to meet you. Here, be responsible for my daughter. Oh, and while you're at it, take care of my stupid ass while my bitch of an ex-wife refuses to divorce me."

"Well, you are divorced now."

"Just a small drop in the bucket, man."

"So what are you going to do?"

"What any respectable man would do. I'm going to give her space and when she comes back...if she comes back...I'm going to beg on my knees for her to stay."

That night, the guys sat around a tall campfire, eating hot dogs and making mountain pies. Emmett was in the process of telling the story of his and Rose's trip to a strip club—and how they discovered a stripper with no teeth—when Edward snuck away from the group. He had Charlie Swan's number memorized from seeing it on the list of 'important numbers' Bella hung on the refrigerator. The chief answered, sounded hesitant. "Hello?"

"Chief Swan? This is Edward Cullen. I um...I need to talk to you about something we discussed before...my divorce went through."

There was silence on the other end of the line and Edward couldn't see how this conversation could have gone differently. It was already awkward, what would be the point in beating around the bush? After a few minutes, he started to think Charlie had hung up on him. A loud sigh told him that was not the case. "When are you gonna ask her?" Charlie asked flatly.

"Soon."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Sir, if she'll have me, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Good because I've never seen Isabella this happy with a guy before. Honestly, I was under the impression that she'd eventually end up with Jake but she's even happier with you than him so that says a lot. I swear to you, though, if you hurt her I will make sure you pay. Do you understand, Edward?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I only have one other condition."

"What?"

"You make sure she calls me when it's official. I'll pay...and I'm sure Renee will help...for an engagement party. She has family out here that won't be forgotten. Got it?"

"Absolutely. She still has to yes first," Edward reminded him, feeling more sure of himself after hearing Charlie's confidence but remembering that Charlie probably didn't know what was actually going on between him and Bella. There was a good chance she was going to laugh in his face and walk out. Then he remembered it was Bella. He could expect that from Tanya but never from her. Even if she hated him, she'd be gentle about it.

After saying an awkward goodbye to Charlie, Edward went back to where the guys were now not so much roasting marshmallows as they were flinging them at each other. He felt like an asshole. There was no reason for Bella to want to marry him. He dumped his life on the poor girl and what did she get in return? Nothing. He thought about 'their' house and realized it had no remnants of her outside of the bedroom...which only had her mark there because he gave her a few drawers. Sure, there were subtle little things that he noticed and that made him smile. Like her condensing the emergency phone number list onto one piece of paper instead of twenty five of them stuck every which way on the refrigerator... or the way her toiletry bag seemed to have exploded all over his bathroom sick. She'd never been given the chance to make the place her own. It didn't matter now, though. He wanted her there permanently and he was going to ask her. If she said no but still stayed with him, he'd ask again later.

That's when it call clicked into place. He debated on what to do, whether James would be understanding and allow him—and possibly Jasper—to cut out early. The plan was already formed and he knew he owed it to her. He had to prove that he wanted her in his life or else she was gone. That's what this came down to. Not him being assaulted by some sorority girl, not Bella stressed from school, and not even his working for the department. He had to prove she was needed. If he couldn't show her how much he wanted her in his life, what reason did she have to stay? "Um...James...can I talk to you for a minute?"

It was four am on Sunday morning and Edward and Jasper were at a local store that was open twenty four hours buying paint. After explaining his plan to James and then to Jasper, the two drove home and got to work. "Are you sure you want to do this? Purple? I mean...it's purple..."

"Yes and it's lavender to be specific."

Jasper shook his head with pursed lips. I hope this doesn't give Ally ideas."

"Do you think we can get this done? I mean, I'm still on pain meds...and you're...I think having a mental breakdown..."

"Just grab the damn lavender paint and we'll put it in the room. I'll call Carlisle in the morning and see if he'll help. Bella will kill me if she finds out I was moving furniture this weekend. Let's just go get some rest."

Four hours later, he was digging through Bella's books that were in boxes downstairs. He had three piles going, school books, childrens books, and novels. A loud knocking echoed through the quiet house and he jumped up to answer the door. To his surprise, at eight am, his mother, father, Rosalie, Aunt Liz, Uncle Pete, and Jasper were all at his door.

"Daddy!" Kaley called, holding a little paint brush. He picked her up and looked out at everyone.

"What..." he asked confused, squinting into the daylight.

"Carlisle told all of us what was going on and we wanted to help."

"It's only one room..." Edward said incredulously but completely grateful to his family and friends.

"Well, let's get this done. She's going to be back tonight, right?"

"Yeah...come on," he said with a smile, carrying Kaley into the house.

After showing them what needed done, the guys pulled the furniture to the center of the room while the girls got to work with their brushes. Even little Kaley was in on the action, something Rosalie took about a hundred pictures of—he wouldn't let her in the room, though, worrying about paint fumes and the baby. Around ten, he told everyone he had to run to the hardware store and left to go into town. The whole way there, he thought about how tonight would unfold, having absolutely no idea what could happen. He did know that his two surprises would remain just that—surprises—until she made up her mind on what she wanted. The room was to show her he wanted her there...and the other thing up his sleeve...well...that was to show her he needed her there. Either way, no matter what she wanted, she wouldn't be guilted into any decisions.

Bella sped. As a daughter of a police officer, those white signs with black numbers seemed to be screaming at her to slow down every time they whizzed past one. Peanut was in the backseat, curled into a ball and trying to sleep while Alice was flipping through a magazine. "Are we trying to win a race?"

"Very funny."

"What are you going to do? About Edward? I didn't want to bring it up in front of Leah..."

"Thanks and I don't know. I guess I'm just going to lay everything out for him and let him choose if he wants me there or not. I mean, changes will need to be made but nothing too extreme. If he can't deal with what I have to say then we'll know it wasn't meant to be."

"It was meant to be," Alice said, distracted, not looking up from her gossip mag. Bella didn't respond, just gripped the steering wheel tighter and pushed the accelerator down harder. Every mile that rolled over on the gauge was one less mile she was away from him. She told him they needed to think about what they wanted, and he had come through by not calling her, but what if he decided _he_ didn't want _her_? _Well then, Bella, you count your losses and walk away. _

When they finally got home, it was about three in the afternoon and it was obvious he wasn't back from the trip yet. There were no cars, the house looked lifeless, and when she unlocked the door, it was also completely silent. Still, it was a welcoming she needed. She had no idea how much she truly missed the place until the moment she went to walk up the stairs to the living room and heard Edward's car pull up. She went back downstairs to confirm it was him from the door and gently swung it open.

Getting out of the car, he stopped to turn and looked at her for a good thirty seconds before heading towards her. The second he was in reaching distance, Bella felt the immediate attraction she always seemed to have for him and made herself stay planted to her spot. That's when he said it, "You're home."

For someone else, hearing 'you're home' might be the most mundane thing. Sure, a lot of people heard it every day. Sure 'home' could be taken to mean many different things. To Bella, in the state of mind she was in, it was said exactly as she needed to hear it. Understood exactly as she needed to understand it. Her eyes were starting to tear up and she knew there weren't words. So, instead of standing there stammering like a fool, she launched herself into him and he immediately put his arms around her. While she tried to think of what to say, he gushed, "I'm sorry. For everything. I should have been more understanding. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have assumed you wanted..."

"I do want it. I want it all. Shh, baby." So it began, her lips met his and they both felt a needing deep down. What started as a hug and a kiss between two upset lovers was becoming so much more. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by his presence and everything that came along with it, she thought about what her mom had told her. He was her refuge not her burden. All those obstacles out there in the real world were why they needed each other, not why they should drift away until the distance was too great to overcome.

Bella held onto him in a way that happened for a week. To her surprise, she found the strength to pull away but then her body found his hand and began to pull him into the house with her. As they reached the top of the stairs, now in the living room, she turned and asked where Kaley was. "Rose's," was all he choked out, lust thick in his voice. It sent shivers down her spine and that tingling feeling went right to her core. His beautiful voice had always been a turn on but when it was drenched in need...need for her...it was almost too much.

She pulled him further, over to the couch, and pushed him down by his shoulders before straddling his lap. He was rock hard and pressing against her inner thighs. She moaned at the pressure and with a voice now full of effort, he asked, "Bella?"

"I want you. I need it."

As if that was a good enough response as any, he went straight for her neck, his teeth grazing just under her ear. While she cried out, her fingers desperately trying to unbutton his shirt, he pulled hers off and kissed the line of her bra, along the tops of her breasts. She stood then, long enough to unbutton and toss her jeans onto the other couch, as well as her panties and bra. The only articles of clothing she had on were her socks but those really weren't detrimental to succeeding their goal.

The second she was standing in front of him, deciding how she was going to get his pants off, he lunged forward and licked her core before taking her clit in his mouth. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming, and tried to focus on staying upright. Still tonguing her, he slid off the couch long enough to kneel and take of his jeans before sitting back on the couch, erect and ready. She could feel that she was dripping and the wetness on his face proved it. While he wiped the wetness off with his finger and licked his hand clean, she climbed back on top of him, taking his mouth into a deep kiss. Tasting herself on him was way more erotic than she would have thought possible and he pulled away all to soon. She thought about Tanya, the girl at the bar, even Rosalie and one word came to mind—_mine_. "Bella...are you sure? Are you sure you want...this now?" It came out breathless and with her hands resting on his chest, she could feel his heart hammering against his skin.

She didn't say anything, just lowered herself down, hard. It was his turn to moan and he let her adjust but she could see it was taking a lot for him not to just take what he wanted. When she let go of him and held onto the couch behind them, her pace quickened and he threw his head back. Soon, he was gripping both of her hips, lifting her body and setting his own pace. She was more than happy to let him. She fell apart seconds later and he stopped thrusting shortly after, her head resting on his chest and her body trying to get oxygen. Bella still didn't know how he managed it but he lifted her off the couch, the clothes forgotten and carried her back to the bedroom—only after would she remember he wasn't supposed to be lifting things.

He set her down in the middle, his long body on its side beside her, leaning over her, playing with her hair. She kissed his neck, feeling him go hard against her leg again. He pulled her nipple into this mouth and bit down while he wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled gently. She breathed his name and pulled him closer so that he was over top of her. With on hand above her head, her legs spread underneath him, the adrenaline brought her more energy. "Take me. Don't hold back. Not anymore. Not ever again."

**This chapter was a bitch to write. I swear I wrote about four versions of it lol Anyway, this one seemed the best and I hope I didn't disappoint. Before I get ripped a new one, just know that the next chapter will pick up where this one left off. They will talk. They will make a decision. The sex is not meant to be what makes everything okay. With that said, I hope you enjoyed this. :) I haven't written it yet but the next chapter will begin to wrap things up for a type of 'Part One'. I'm just going to continue on, though. I'm not going to create another story to finish this one. There's a lot left and many more chapters to this beast so don't assume the next chapter means it's over. Let me know what you think about this one and I'll try to get the next one to you soon! LPxx**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 31**

Bella looked up at Edward, who was looking down at her with that wonderfully crooked smile, and couldn't believe that she'd almost walked away from him for good. "Are you sure you want to go again?" he asked her.

"Definitely."

That was all he needed. Sliding back inside of her, her kissed her neck, and whispered that he loved her. While the feeling of ecstasy overtook her again, Bella had just enough time to think that even in romance novels, most guys weren't as sweet as hers. The word 'mine' came to mind once again and she pulled his upper body down to her, nipping his shoulder. He groaned and began to thrust with more force. This time it wasn't as intense as what had just happened on the couch but it was every bit as passionate.

He took his time with her, kissing her neck, her collar bone, her chest, her shoulders, and it wasn't until she dug her nails into his hips and felt herself clench him inside of her that she felt him release. Collapsing beside her, Edward's heavy breathing was like a lullaby, and Bella was all too eager to let it carry her away. About an hour later, she woke up to him standing beside the bed in a pair of jeans and setting something down on the little table by the alarm clock. It was hot tea—just what the doctor ordered.

He helped her sit up and she pulled the sheet up around her satisfied body as he handed her the hot mug. "I missed you."

She smiled at that and after kissing his cheek, she said, "I missed you, too. I'm sorry I left early. I never should have. It was...wrong..."

"You needed that time, Bella. I understand. I was just scared."

"I knew you were," Bella looked down at her tea, feeling ashamed. "I _knew_ you really didn't want me to leave but were too good to tell me that. I left anyway..."

"I don't care about that. I care about how badly I hurt you that night. It meant nothing..."

"Edward, stop. I absolutely promise that I never believed you were to blame. As much as I'd love to meet this girl and tell her how I feel, it wasn't your fault and I'm over it. I'm sorry for messing things up so badly."

"You didn't. I literally dumped my entire life on you and just let you deal. That was messed up. That was _my _fault. Bella, there was never a time when I didn't think you could handle it. Ever. That's not the problem. The problem is that it should have been your choice of whether you wanted to handle it or not and I never let you choose."

"Edward, I never had a choice," Bella said sternly and when he looked away she shook her head, "and it had nothing to do with you. I fell in love with Kaley the very first time I held her. This tiny little girl chasing my dog into the road turned my world upside down. Then, when I met you, I couldn't stop thinking about you and I wanted to be closer to you... I used to daydream about you coming home to me after work, having your way with me..."

"Having sex with the babysitter..." he laughed.

"Exactly. Then, I became more than that to you...more than that to Kaley. You two are my life now."

"You're mine. Not even my family, or Rosalie, or even the department..."

"I don't want you to leave the department," Bella blurted, cutting him off, "I know they're thinking about merging with the next county over. Annie told me. I don't want to see you quit until you have to. I never should have even put you in that position...I just know how hard it is. I watched my mom deal with my dad for years. I never want to see you hurt."

"I know. Another thing that I know I fucked up. I need to learn to quit being so damn stubborn and let people help me more. I'm just used to doing things on my own. Raising Kaley is a huge one that I need to work on. I trust you with her and I trust in you making decision for her. It's just hard for me because besides Rosalie and my mom, I am essentially her only caregiver...at least until now. It's a lot to get used to. I'm sorry if you're upset that I didn't let you have her this weekend. That was more about me being worried about you then me worrying you couldn't handle it. I just felt like you needed time to think."

"I did need it. I understood why you said no. I also understand that she is solely your daughter. I want nothing more than to be her mother and I hate that I wasn't the one to carry her for those nine months but I would never try to put distance between the two of you. Edward, that little girl loves you more than anyone or anything in this entire world. You can see it on her face every time you're near her." Bella saw a tear run down his cheek and she wiped it away before continuing. "I know it couldn't have been easy and I wish I could have been there from the beginning but when...if...we have a child of our own, I will never consider Kaley any differently than I do now."

He was full-fledged crying now and Bella wondered how many times people praised him for how well he did in raising his daughter, obviously it wasn't enough. Through his tears, a huge smile broke out on his face and he was laughing a little. "Speaking of, you are on the pill now right?"

"Yeah," Bella giggled, "according to the papers that came with it, it only takes three days to kick in. It should have been fully in effect as of last night."

"Okay. I probably should have asked that before we..."

"We're both responsible for our actions. Which is something else I think might need to be said. I'm not so young that you have to tiptoe around me when it comes to sex. I was serious earlier. If you want me, take me. If I'm not up for it, I'll tell you. I...like it, ya know," she blushed, feeling like an idiot.

The lust look was back on his face and Bella turned even redder, to the point that she could feel her face getting hot. "I'll keep that in mind...but I have something to show you...so you need to quit talking about it before I take advantage of that offer. _Again_. Come on, follow me."

Bella watched him walk away from her, his bare back was healing nicely, though she knew there would be scars. Sliding off of the bed, she pulled the covers around herself and followed him out of the room, holding the sheet above her chest. When they came to the door of the office, Bella watched him push the door open and turn to look at her after he stepped inside. She was memorized by the nervous, adorable look on his face as he watched her expectantly and it took her about ten more seconds to look past him into the room. Her heart stopped and then sped up quickly. The man was going to give her a heart attack one of these days. The office that she had come to know as a room full of neutral colors and blank walls was now full of light purples, pinks, greens, and photos from the albums she kept.

Along the wall closest to the door were two tall and long bookshelves. Her novels were in the middle with her school text books on one side and her childrens books on the other. In front of the shelves were two light green bean bag chairs and on the opposite side of the room in a corner was a little dog bed which she assumed was for Peanut. The desk was clear of Edward's papers and books, completely cleaned off except for the desktop and her laptop—which was right beside it. The desk was a wrap around and there was a section that she could do paper work on.

The lavender walls were a nice touch, calming and homey. There were lavender scented candles as well as cucumber melon and peach. A floor lamp with five small light fixtures came up in different pastel colors and the thick beige carpet in the middle of the floor looked more than inviting. What made her the most in awe were the pictures hung along the back of the desk, found in frames on the bookshelf, and in collages on the walls. They were pictures she had packed away in boxes, ones from her childhood up until now.

Two of them though stuck out the most. In the center of one collage on the wall was her, Alice, Jake, Quil, Embry, and Leah. The other was a five by ten frame full of wallet sized pictures. The pictures consisted of Edward's family, all with paint smeared faces and old clothes, in various positions around the little office. Front and center was a picture of little Kaley, a smile the size of Texas on her face, holding a paint brush up to show the camera. That was the point that Bella lost it.

Leaning back against the door frame, she put her hand on her mouth and tried to take deep breaths, completely shocked at all the hard work people she'd only known for such a short amount of time had done for her. Edward approached her, a look of knowing on his face as he pulled her to him and kissed her hair. "Welcome home, Bells. I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner. I unpacked most of your stuff. There's only one box left down there and it has Peanut's stuff in it..."

"You didn't have to do this..." Bella managed to sniffle out.

"Yeah. I did. I want you here. In _our_ home. With _me_. Raising _our_ daughter. This is your home too, Bells. Always. This is just the beginning. I didn't feel right doing the bedroom without your input but I wanted to give you one room now and figured there's going to be nights in the near future where Kaley and I are going to need to give you space. So, here's somewhere that is yours where you can get work done and," he gestured to the bean bags, "a place where you and Kaley can read quietly when you have down time. I know she loves to pretend to read her books while you read your novels."

"I'm...this...I..."

"There's one more thing. If it's too soon, just say so."

Bella watched, still totally naked under the sheet, as he reached up on the top of the book shelf and pulled down what looked like a card. Handing it to her, she saw the front was blank but there was a little more weight to it so there was definitely something more than paper on the inside. She opened it carefully, and slid out the piece of construction paper. It had scribbles all over it and at the bottom in Edward's handwriting were the words 'Please open.' So she did—and her throat tightened, tears threatening to come back. Taped to the inside of the card was a ring. It had a silver band with tiny pearls set into the sides which led to a beautiful princess cut diamond. Edward took it from her shaking hands and Bella noticed his were shaking just as badly. She watched in astonishment, her hands now clinging to the top of the sheet as they looked for a distraction, as Edward ripped the ring off the paper and knelt in front of her.

"I...I'm not so good at these things...but I really, really love you..."

"Yes..." Bella breathed out, unable to contain it.

"Um...that's it? I thought I had to like give a speech or something..." Edward asked, laughing.

"I don't care about the speech. Yes. Yes I'll marry you."

He was still on one knee, the anxiety instantly erased from his face as he gave her that crooked grin on bended knee. "Good. Good..."

Bella couldn't get over how adorable he looked, five years older than her, a father, and unable to form a coherent sentence. Edward always seemed to be in control and it was heartwarming to watch him grasp for it, not quite able to reach it. So, she stood naked in front of him as he slid the ring onto her finger but the second it was on, she dropped down on her knees in front of him. "I love you."

Edward couldn't breathe. Sure, it was the second time he proposed. Sure, he was nervous the first time. What set this apart was first and foremost he had no idea what she would say, the second was he decided to wing the speech...which he knew was the wrong decision as soon as he knelt down and froze. Bella was many things but daft wasn't one of them. As soon as he got into the kneeling position she knew exactly what would be coming out of his mouth. Her verbal filter was malfunctioning again—something he preferred to her being quiet and sad like she had been the past week—and if nothing else, the girl knew what she wanted.

There hadn't been a moment's hesitation. She had actually stopped him where as Tanya waited expectantly while he launched into some romantic story about a princess...he was such a fucking idiot. Even then, she was sleeping with other people behind his back. Now, looking up at Bella, he felt tears filling his eyes. He rarely cried, the last time had been when Kaley was sick. Today, though...and Friday night, he had bawled his eyes out. It was a heart-wrenching sobbing that put him to sleep on Friday and happy tears that seemed to not want to stop falling all day.

In the first time in his entire life he was absolutely happy. He was watching Bella, seeing her reaction to everything had been enough to make him glad he was already on his knees. She was so innocent, so kind, so...Bella. He thought about the fact that she was standing in front of him, wrapped in the cotton sheet...and nothing else, wondering if her offer for taking what he wanted applied to the minutes after a marriage proposal. He thought of earlier, how he'd already taken what he wanted twice, and decided that the offer probably didn't apply.

It didn't matter. While she may have thought sex was something he was worried about, it had been the last thing on his mind. Hell, he'd swear to celibacy if it meant that she'd stay with him. Forever. This was really happening and he kept reminding himself that he didn't need to be scared anymore. Just like Carlisle had saved him when he was a child, Bella had swooped in to save him now. So, he just stayed on one knee, knowing that he was staring at her like he was crazy, yet he couldn't move. He was frozen in place with her look of happiness. It was all he wanted for her. Bella happy was the best thing he'd ever seen and he swore to himself that he'd do what he could to keep that look front and center.

When she dropped down on her knees, her hair cascading down her sheet-clad back, he couldn't help but see the little look of lust that played in her eyes. He thought about what she said about him not having to tiptoe around her, admitting that she liked sex. It was the cutest damn thing he'd ever seen in his entire life and it really did take all his power to keep from making love to her again. Now, Bella seemed to want to show him just how much she like it. After unbuttoning his pants, she pulled the zipper and he watched in amazement as she pulled them down to the floor, though they weren't off yet, he was still kneeling.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he asked, chuckling a little.

"I'm naked. It's not fair."

"Fair? It's not fair?" he asked, playfully, wanting to taste her lips again.

"Nope," she said, watching him pull off the jeans so he was sitting in the middle of the office naked. She watched him in amusement as if his body was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

Lifting the corners of the sheet, which had been wrapped around the front of hers, she held the blanket out behind her. Edward's jaw almost dropped as she knelt in front of him totally exposed. To his surprise, he found that his body was ready to go again, even though he felt exhausted from all of the physical exertion he'd just put on it...twice. It surprised him even more when Bella gently pushed him back so he was lying on the soft carpet with Bella straddling him, the sheet now pulled down around both of them.

It was some time later before they managed to pull away from each other and get up off of the floor, the only reason was that his back was starting to bother him and Bella had started to shiver, even despite his body heat. Not wanting her to get sick and seeing that it was almost nine o'clock at night according to the clock on the wall, he laid her down on the bed again, this time wrapping her up tightly, and headed out to the kitchen. They'd been going at it for almost four hours...with the marriage proposal thrown in the middle. There was no doubt she was going to be sore tomorrow...hell...he was going to be sore tomorrow.

He glanced up at the clock again and called his mom. There was still time to pick up Kaley. "Hey, how'd things go? Did she like the room?" Esme asked as soon as she answered.

"She loved it. She's very grateful and so am I." After Edward left to go get the ring, he'd come out of the jewelers only to bump into Kaley and Rose, who were going to get pictures developed. Rose had taken one look at him and pulled him in for a hug. She was the only one who knew about that part of the surprise and he had wanted to keep it that way. Not only would having to tell everyone she said no hurt like hell, he didn't want to bombard them with phone calls all night—especially because he didn't even know if he was going to propose that night or not—he just wanted to be prepared.

When he got home, the painting was done and the bookshelves were being assembled. While he pitched into help, Rose made a construction paper card up for Kaley to make for Bella, that's when the idea of having the ring in the card came to be. It was perfect. He had wanted his daughter to be a part of it but she wouldn't exactly understand what was going on. If Bella said no, he didn't know how Kaley would have taken it. Nor did he want to sway Bella's decision because she didn't want to say no to Kaley. He loved his daughter deeply but this was one aspect of him and Bella that needed to be just about them. There was a lot that should be just about them, though, and he had to remind himself of that—especially where Rosalie was concerned.

"Well, I'm just glad you two are doing well. Kaley is upstairs in the bathtub. Carlisle bought her pink bubbles and bath tub paint. She's having a blast..." Esme said, sounding like she was hinting at something.

"Mom, I haven't been with her all weekend. I'm coming to get her."

"Fine. Alright..."

"Don't guilt me on this. Besides, I'm sure Bella wants to see her."

"Well, I have some things to talk to Bella about concerning Rose's shower. I'm going to throw her one, I figure her dad won't think of it..."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later. I should be there in about ten minutes but I'm not sure that I'll have Bella with me. She's sleeping."

Bella woke up...alone...and decided that was something else they needed to discuss. Then, she realized it was nine fifteen at night, not in the morning, and it made a little more sense. Heading over to her underwear drawer, she slipped on some panties and a bra before grabbing one of Edward's t-shirts and slipping on a pair of jeans. She found him in the kitchen, staring out into the yard. "Hey, baby," she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

When her hands connected in front of him, she felt the addition that was making her left hand a little heavier and couldn't help but smile. This had to be a dream. One hell of an amazing dream but a dream none the less. "Hey, do you want to ride out to my parent's with me to pick up Kaley?"

"Yeah. I suppose we should pick up the clothes that are all over the living room first."

While they cleaned up, Edward smiled and said, "We need to call your dad."

"Why?" Bella cringed, already knowing what he was going to say.

"To tell him it's official..."

"We can wait. Like, until after we're married..."

"Bells, I promised that when I asked you he'd know."

"Wait, my dad already knows about this? He didn't throw a fit?" Bella asked, crossing her arms. He had to be lying to her.

"I swear it. I don't know, I guess he likes me. He wants to throw us an engagement party."

"Who else knows? Carlisle and Esme?"

"No. The only other person that knows is Rose."

Bella rolled her eyes, "Not a surprise..."

"She saw me leaving the jewelery store when she was getting all of those pictures copied to hang up for you..."

"She did that?" Bella was in shock. Sure, the girl was mostly nice to her but that was _really_ sweet.

"Yup. Don't seem so surprised. If it wasn't for her and my family it wouldn't have gotten done before you got home. Why _were_ you home early?" he asked with a smile.

"I wanted to see you. I actually tried to talk Alice into leaving first thing this morning but she had plans with Leah. I missed you and was scared that maybe..."

"Maybe what?" he prompted, quietly.

"You decided that you didn't want me," her voice was shaky as she said it, she even had to look away.

"Never. I was a mess all weekend. Even before what happened at the bar," when she didn't say anything, he said, "Come on, Kaley's probably tired."

Bella slid into the car and winced. "A little sore?" Edward asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"A little. Not a big deal..."

"I should have been more careful with you..."

"Would you shut up? Those last couple of times I practically forced you." He didn't say anything after that and Bella was in wonder over how many times she'd orgasmed. She knew there was no way Edward had as many times as she had but he'd definitely gotten his fair share.

When they pulled up in front of his parents, Bella saw that all the lights were still on and she quit worrying about the late hour that they were showing up. Apparently, Carlisle was just as much of an insomniac as his son, considering he was on call at all hours of the night. Esme was in a soft pink robe, holding Kaley, whose hair was still wet.

The second Kaley saw them, she of course ran to Edward. He held and kissed her before handing her to Bella while he grabbed her bag and said hello to his parents. "Before you two run off, there's something I want to show Bella. I got a few centerpiece ideas for the baby shower and wanted to talk to you about them. Edward, your father is in the living room. Just give us a few minutes."

Bella watched the woman pull out an oversized manilla folder with pictures of different things other people did. Each one was way extravagant but there was a super cute one with rubber ducks that Bella fell in love with. When she went to point at it, Esme became silent and quit shuffling things around. The gasp that came almost scared Bella as she looked around for whatever was upsetting Esme. It hit her when Esme grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh, Bella. Oh, sweetie...I knew it. I knew you were the one. I knew it!"

Bella laughed at how excited Esme was about the whole situation. "He just asked me a couple hours ago..."

Esme still wasn't letting go of her. "Bella, listen to me, that boy has been crazy about you since you two first met. You have to understand, he never, I mean never brought anyone home before. This is huge. Now you're going to be married! We have to call everyone!" she finally pulled away at that and grabbed her hand.

Bella tried to protest, tried to tell her that it could wait...that she wanted to wait...but Esme wouldn't have it. They found Edward and Carlisle playing with Kaley in the living room. Edward looked up and saw that his mother was crying. Immediately, he and his father both jumped up and practically ran to them. "What? What is it, mom?"

"I love you, kiddo. Ugh! I can't believe you're getting married again!"

Bella laughed as Carlisle rolled his eyes and came over to pull her into a hug. "Welcome to the family, Bella. Although, I think that greeting is a couple months late."

"Momma," Kaley said, yawning and pulling at her sweatshirt.

Edward turned away from his mom, picking Kaley up and hugging Bella. "What's wrong, Kal?" Bella asked, rubbing the little girls back as Kaley dug her face into Edward's neck.

"Ti-ed."

"Alright, come on, you two. Let's go get some sleep. Mom, really, we'll make the calls and let everyone know tomorrow."

"Fine. Can I at least call Liz?"

"Go for it," Bella said, laughing at Esme's obvious eagerness to alert the whole state of Washington.

After telling them goodbye, Bella watched as Edward loaded their daughter into the car and thought about the first day they had met. She knew the second that little girl ran into the street that had there been a car coming, Bella would have gladly risked her life to save the tiny blonde. Taking on a husband that wasn't hers to begin with and a daughter who would never feel that Bella wasn't her real mom was a whole _ton_ of responsibility.

Bella didn't know how things would play out. She knew she and Edward would argue. She knew their life was far from fixed but from the moments she met them, she knew her role in their lives was meant to be so much more than just a temporary neighbor. After being away from them for just a few days she knew she'd defend to the death her role as Edward's wife and Kaley's mother. She _dared_ anyone to try to take that from her.

**Alright, lovelies, I hope you enjoyed part one. I will be traveling this weekend to visit a friend in DC, he just moved there and I'm super excited to go visit ****I will have no trouble writing, I have about 7 hours in the car ahead of me but I won't be able to update…I'm going to try…but no promises. We'll be skipping ahead in time but it will still be the same story. If you're bored this weekend, check out Everyday Hero, it's on my page. Thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed it—I love that you loved it! See you all on Sunday—if not sooner ;) Letzy xxooxxooxxoo**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 32**

Bella stood at the top of the church stairs looking out over the balcony. As she twisted her hands nervously, she felt the little sparkling embellishments dig into her arms. "Al, they're late."

"Bella, James said that they were just going out on a car accident call. We have a half an hour before the ceremony begins..."

Turning around, Bella didn't let her finish but headed into the little room where the girls had been getting ready. "Rose, have you heard from Em?"

"Nope," Rosalie said, rubbing her large belly in front of the vanity and applying lip gloss, "I'm going to go see if Esme heard anything."

Bella stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at herself and wondering how she could have changed so much in such a short amount of time. Her mahogany hair still fell down her back, her slender build still slender, on the outside she was her. Bella Swan. On the inside, she was a whole different person than she was just a year ago. She was the soon-to-be Mrs. Isabella Cullen and the soon-to-be legal mother of Kaley Ann Cullen—something they had set up earlier. Edward wanted her to become a legal guardian of Kaley the same day she and Edward would be married.

She realized she was alone in the room and decided to have a seat at the vanity. As she watched the door behind her, she thought back to all of her long nights of getting home at five, working on lesson plans until two in the morning, crawling into bed for three hours, and doing it all over again the next day. When she walked across the stage to get her diploma, those long student teaching hours were found to be all worthwhile. Poor Edward had gone a month without sex while she was stressing about school and an even poorer Kaley had to go to daycare all day everyday. It was hard on them but now that she thought of her little classroom she would be getting ready for the fall, she smiled to herself, glad to already have a job.

Then there were the little breaks their family and friends pushed her to take. They were short breaks but still wonderful. They had rented out a spot in Seattle for the engagement party, a big bash that had lots of food, dancing, and well-wishers. Even Jake showed up and Edward allowed him to dance with her. The gravity of not having Quil around had hit her hard that night and just like at the funeral, if Edward couldn't be around, Jake was. It was like the two were taking shifts.

The shower was thrown by Esme, Renee, and the bridesmaids. Of course, Alice was the maid of honor, opposite Jasper who was the best man. Rosalie was due...very, very soon and Edward asked Jasper to take the position of best man in case Emmett and Rosalie were delivering their little girl that particular day. Bree Masen was also in the line-up, Edward's fourteen year old cousin, who was paired with Tyler. Edward wanted her in the wedding but threatened to kill Tyler if he tried anything. Leah was also going to be up on the alter with them, representing for Seattle.

Bella had just glanced over at the clock, anxious to hear word that her groom was not going to be late for their ceremony, when she heard the door open behind her. Turning her head, she smiled and teared up a little. "Jake," she breathed, turning to look at him, who was looking at her in adoration.

"Hey, beautiful," he said, approaching and pulling her into a tight hug.

"You look pretty amazing yourself," she said with a small laugh.

"So, there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?" he asked slowly but with a smile.

"Nope," Bella replied, although she knew he already was very well aware of that.

"He'll be here, ya know. Quit worrying. Just a routine traffic accident... 

"How did he ask you?" Bella asked, suddenly curious.

"He pulled me aside while you were dancing with Embry and said, and I quote. 'You're Bella's best friend. I guess you should be in the wedding. If you don't want to wear a dress then I'll call you when we get fitted. You're partnered with Leah.'" The way Jake said it was a hilariously exaggerated impression of Edward and she was practically hysterical by the time he was finished.

"That's it? That's how he asked you?" Bella asked between giggling fits.

"Yeah! Then he just walked away."

"Wow."

"Moooommmyyyyy!" A banging on the other side of the door followed by the little girl yelling for her made an even bigger smile come to Bella's face.

"Coming, little bug!" Bella laughed, throwing the door open and looking down at her daughter.

Kaley was dressed in a miniature version of Bella's dress and she looked absolutely adorable. Her hair was in banana curls done by Alice and she wore tiny ballet slippers. "Mommy, I don't want to get married!" Kaley exclaimed, crossing her little arms and pouting her lips.

Bella cracked up once again...as did Jake...who was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "Kaley, honey, you're not. Mommy is."

"Who's the pwince?" Kaley asked, uncrossing her arms and looking confused.

"Daddy. Kaley, honey, mommy and daddy talked you about this many times...

Kaley looked turned to Jake then. "Jakey, you be _my_ pwince?"

"Sure, Kals, anyday." Jake walked over and held out his arms out to see if she wanted held. Immediately she went to him and Bella watched how sweet he was with her.

"I the pwincess...you be pwince," Kaley said to Jake, going into her little imaginary world that only a child could access.

Giggling, Bella put her hands on her hips, pretending to feel left out, and asked, "Who am_ I_?"

Kaley shrugged her little shrug and said, "You can be my sister."

"Alright, my princess, it's time to go back downstairs. Bells, really, relax. I'll come tell you when they get here. Mind if I take her back downstairs with me?"

"No. That's fine. I'm just going to hang out here. Can you send Alice in?"

"Yeah. See ya at the alter...sis." Bella shook her head and watched them leave.

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and James ran up the sidewalk and into the church. They were pulling on their jackets and straightening their ties as they burst through the doors. Edward looked at his watch—he made it with ten minutes to spare. "Thank God!" Esme said, loud enough for it to be inappropriate in the rectory of a church. "Look at you guys!"

Jasper and Emmett both laughed while Tyler gave her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Tyler," she glared playfully.

"You're welcome, Mrs. C," he smiled at her with a wide grin.

What caught Edward's attention though was his little girl being carried down the stairs from the room Bella was in. She was in Jake's arms but as soon as she saw him, her face lit up. "Daddy!"

Jake handed her off to him while his mom and Renee tried to pin on the guys' boutonnieres. Sneaking away, he sat her down on the top of a rock wall outside of the church. He couldn't believe how big she'd gotten, he could remember bringing her home from the hospital, terrified and out of his mind, just like it was yesterday. His beautiful little girl smiled up at him.

She smiled even brighter as he kissed her forehead. "Kaley, today, daddy is going to marry mommy. I know we talked about this already, but I want you to know that daddy is always going to be there for you. Always. No one, not even mommy will stop that. I might not have always made the best decisions for you but I tried my best and mommy is going to be there to help me. We both love you very, very much."

"Edward!" his mom called to him. "It's time! Let's go!"

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" he asked, looking down at Kaley.

She looked at him blankly with her little head cocked to the side. He just shook his head and picked her up. As he carried her into the church she put her little palm to his cheek and for the first time, without him having to say it first, she said very seriously for her little two and a half year self, "I love you, daddy."

Edward headed to the front of the alter, handing Kaley off to his mom first. Jasper and Emmett were already waiting for him and Tyler was flirting with someone in the back pew. People were packed into the small church and his Aunt Liz grabbed his arm and pinned on his boutonniere before he could get to the front. Jake was nowhere around and he called to Tyler to move it—much to everyone's amusement. Finally, as everyone started to get restless, he spotted Charlie and Jake at the back of the chuch. After a hug from Charlie, Jake turned and headed towards him.

"She looks amazing, man."

Seconds after Jake was in his place, the doors were blocked open and he saw his daughter dancing around in her little dress. "Mommy! Daddy up there!" she yelled pointing, causing the chuch full of people to laugh again.

Jasper and Emmett made their way back down to pull the aisle runner. As soon as they were back in place, Esme and Renee walked down, both hugging him and lighting the two small candles by the unity candle. Next came Kaley, who did fine until she realized all of the people who were watching her. _Come on, Kaley. You can do this..._ Edward silently prayed she wouldn't get too scared. Rosalie was behind her, urging her forward and she was just about to cry when Edward knelt down and called her name. She focused on him then and smiled. The original plan was for her to walk down the aisle, dropping yellow petals as she went. Instead, she full on sprinted into his arms. Lots of 'oohs and aahs' were heard.

Laughing, Edward kissed her cheek and said, "You forgot the flowers."

Looking down at the basket, she shrugged and dumped the whole thing in front of him. If anything, Kaley was offering a serious comedic experience. Her last and final stunt was pulling away from Edward and handing her basket to Jake before running back to Rosalie, who led her back towards the alter. When Rosalie made it, she winked at him and he had smiled back, still worried about how far along she was. That was a big issue for him but Jake was joining the service in July and if it were any later, Rose definitely wouldn't have been able to handle it. That was one thing he had stated from the beginning, Rosalie would be in it—even if she had to stand on his side. Tanya had refused to put her in. In fact, Edward didn't have one person who was a friend of his in the wedding party—and one of them had been sleeping with Tanya. At least from what he knew it was only one of them.

Leah was the next one down, her tan skin set the pale yellow off and Edward was reminded of how symbolic that color had become for him and Bella. She smiled at Embry before joining Rose to watch Bree come down. His Aunt Liz was practically falling out of the pew trying to get pictures of her daughter as she walked past. While the bridesmaids were great, he was straining his neck the whole time, trying to see his Bella. Alice was the last one down, practically skipping down the aisle and blowing Jasper a kiss when she finally got there. Suddenly, when he couldn't stand it any longer, the pianist switched songs and everyone stood up to face the back of the church. He saw Charlie first as they turned the corner to walk in before finally seeing a glimpse of white. A second later he was willing himself not to cry in front of a chuch full of people all the while willing himself to breathe.

The ceremony went beautifully and only when Edward kissed Bella and went to walk out with her, did Kaley start to fuss. Jake to the rescue, called to her, holding out the basket. To Bella's amusement, Edward looked a little put out that Jake had appeased her from not being with Edward so easily. When they got to the back of the chuch, they turned to wait for Kaley, planning to take her in their car to get pictures. Jake had her in one arm and Leah on the other. At the end of the aisle, Leah went to Embry and Kaley went to Edward. Bella laughed at Jake's dramatic frown before running over and giving him a tight hug. "I'm glad you were here. We both are. Though, he probably won't admit it."

They had pictures taken at the station and at the park before going back to the fire hall for the reception. They even put the ladder up, having everyone stand going up towards the bucket with Edward and Bella at the top. The only thing the photographer had trouble with was getting the guys to put their beers down and getting Kaley to look at the camera. At the reception they danced to "At Last" and the father daughter dance was "I Held Her First", a little bit over-played but it was perfect for both Edward and Charlie.

As the night progressed, cake was shoved in faces, Rosalie didn't go into labor, and Tyler behaved himself with Bree—only to hook up with Annie's neice. All in all it was a good night. The bridal dance had to have been the most interesting, though. While Jasper and Emmett blocked so Edward couldn't get to his new bride, Jake took it above and beyond. He'd been buffing up for the army and Edward had always been muscular. When Edward started to try to get to her, Jake stepped back and let Emmett and Jasper put on their show but when he got through them, Jake steppd in.

It started out with them laughing about it, as well as everyone else—especially those who knew the story behind it. Bella watched as they got more and more aggressive with each other. It reminded Bella of two stubborn rams bucking at each other for a mate. When it got to the point that she thought Edward was going to rip Jake's tux jacket and Alice asked if they were actually joking or if they were seriously fighting, Bella stepped in. "Guys!"

They stopped immediately and straightened themselves out. By now, everyone had stopped to enjoy the show...except Jazz and Em who looked like they were going to have to break up a fight at any minute. Bella was holding her breath until Jake, who was still standing in front of her, held his hand out to Edward. Edward took it and and they shared a 'man hug' before she heard Jake say loud enough for at least her and Edward both to hear, "You fucking take care of her. I promise next time, it won't be that easy to get her back if you mess this up."

"You take care of yourself, man. When you get back safe and sound from whereever the hell they're shipping you off to, we'll get drinks. On me."

"Deal," said Jake, stepping away and gesturing for him to go to Bella. She knew that this was Jake's way of finally letting her go and she knew Edward knew it as well.

"He'll never get you," Edward whispered, kissing her neck and picking her up bridal style.

"Let's go get some air," she whispered, kissing his neck and snuggling into him.

Edward glanced around and saw that Kaley was with Renee, eating cookies, and figured she'd be good for a few minutes. Outside, he set her down but grabbed her hand. "How long until we can leave?" he asked with a smirk.

"Soon. Just wait a little longer..."

"God, you are so fucking amazing...

"Just a little longer, Edward. I promise. Then, you can do whatever you want to me..."

"Mmmm," he purred against her neck, "I'm glad we aren't flying out tonight."

"Ugh, me too! I'm exhausted," Bella said, playfully kissing his cheek, as if all she wanted to do was sleep. Edward just shook his head, knowing she was joking. Turning back to him, Bella said over her shoulder, "Let's go say goodbye to Kaley and then we can go."

Renee and Charlie were staying at Edward's parents and so Kaley would be with them over night. Edward and Bella were flying out of and back into Seattle, so they decided to let Kaley stay with Pappy and Grammy Swan, who she had stayed with many times since the engagement—and she loved the fact that she could go see 'Jakey' whenever she asked. Edward and Bella found her mom and dad, embracing and smiling at Kaley, who was dancing with Jake.

Edward saw them and rolled his eyes. _What is it about this guy?_ He wondered to himself as he approached them. "May I cut in?" he asked, unable to stop his smile.

"I suppose. I'll see you around, Kal's."

Edward picked up his daughter, holding her tight, and realizing that he was absolutely terrified of leaving her for a whole week. He had never been away from her for more than a couple days. "Kaley, honey, mommy and daddy are going to have to leave soon. Remember how we talked about that?"

"I stay gwanny swans."

"Yeah..." he said, his voice strained.

"Edward," Bella walked over, putting her hand on his shoulder and rubbing Kaley's back, "you're going to stress her out. She's going to be fine. We'll pick her up as soon as we land next Saturday."

"Mommy, I tired."

"I know, angel..."

"Is it okay if I take her now? I'm beat and your mom's going to stay here to help clean up..."

"Yeah. That's fine," Bella said slowly, looking at Edward in a way that said 'it _is_ fine'.

"I'll take her out to the car..." Edward said, while Bella and Charlie followed. After getting outside, Edward handed her to Bella who hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead, both cheeks and nose. She whispered that she loved her and that they'd be home soon before handing her to Edward again.

"Alright, little bug. You're going to be fne and I'll see you in less than a week," he said, buckling her into the car seat in the back of Charlie's car. "You're going to be okay."

"Alright, honey, come on..." Bella said, rubbing his back this time.

"Just one more minute..."

"Edward. Really. Let's go. My father did fine raising me. Please."

"Bye, Kaley..."

"I love you, daddy," Kaley said quietly before giving a yawn.

Edward stood up straight, trying once again not to tear up. In one day she had told him that twice. He could hardly stop himself from doing a little dance. "I love you, too, Kaley Ann."

**I wasn't going to do the wedding but at least one of you mentioned you couldn't wait to read it and I had to write it lol So, I skipped ahead a few months, did the wedding and I hope you like. Also, I reached over 500 reviews last chapter and never got to tell you all thanks! So thanks! It means a lot, I read them all, and I write for you guys. I already have most of the next chapter done, there isn't going to be a honeymoon scene but we are jumping ahead a few years. I think you will like the new chapters, the story line is obviously getting more interesting and I really want to know what you all think of this one and the rest. Thanks for all of your support, Letzy xx**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 33**

**Three Years Later**

"So..."

"So, what?" Bella asked, feeling slightly annoyed as her husband tried to see over her shoulder.

"What does it say?"

Bella rolled her eyes at him and leaned back against the counter which she was sitting in front of on the bathroom floor. "It takes a little longer than five seconds, Edward."

He became quiet, sitting down on the rim of the bathtub. "Dad?" Kaley called, banging on the door.

"We'll be out in a minute, Kal!"

When there was no response, Bella relaxed and looked down at the white stick in her hand, willing it to say what they were waiting for. With a sigh, she stood up, "You are not pregnant. Do not pass 'go' do not collect two hundred dollars..." she muttered under her breath, tossing the test into the garbage and heading out to get Kaley ready for school.

Edward said nothing. _Smart man, _Bella thought as she found Kaley watching cartoons in the living room. "Mommy, can I play with Lily after school?"

Liliana Rose McCarty was born the day she and Edward had gotten back from their honeymoon in Vancouver. It was almost as if she was waiting for her favorite uncle to be there. "I guess so but I have to talk to Aunt Rose and make sure it's okay..."

"Bells, have you seen my bag?" Edward asked, coming in now fully dressed in khakis and a polo.

"It's in the front room. On the bench."

"Thanks. I'll be home a little later today," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and hoisting Kaley up to kiss her as well. "Be good."

"What about breakfast?" Bella asked, opening the refrigerator.

"I'm not hungry. I'll see you later tonight."

Bella watched him leave, leaning against the counter silently. Frustration overtaking her. She knew he wasn't angry with her but she was angry with herself. He was able to conceive a child with Tanya yet she couldn't get pregnant after almost a year of trying. They were both tired and frustrated. Every fifth of the month, just enough days from her period that a test would pick up whether or not she was pregnant, they would sit in the bathroom and she'd pee while he prayed. Never had they gotten one that even hinted she was pregnant, that maybe the test was inaccurate.

He tried to tell her he was fine with that, that he wasn't disappointed, but he never could lie very well. Besides, even if it was okay with him—which it wasn't, it wasn't okay with her. While she was going to be twenty five, he was going to be thirty. In a month. Whenever she asked him about why he and Tanya chose to have Kaley so soon he'd always said he wanted to have his kids when he was young so that he'd have the energy to keep up with them and would be able to have some fun after they grew up. She knew, as young as thirty might seem to some, he was freaking out about it.

She got Kaley ready for school, grabbing her tote bag and Kaley's bookbag before they headed to the car together. Thankfully, Kaley was an early riser and loved school. Bella thought about how some of her student's parents complained about having to get their kids up on time, Kaley was never a problem. "So, what should we do for daddy's birthday?" Bella asked from the front seat of her new Volvo, looking at her daughter in the rear view mirror.

"Chuck E Cheese and cake!" Despite Bella's disappointing morning, she cracked a smile and even found herself laughing. They had thrown that fun shindig just a month before for Kaley's fifth birthday.

"What about a pool party at Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice's?"

"Yeah!"

Bella hit the air conditioner, the day already hot as heck. She cringed, knowing how hot it was going to be in the classroom today. By the afternoon, the kids would be warm and restless. As every other teacher she knew, she was counting the days until summer began, though she wondered if now that there wouldn't be a baby to take care of—which they had attempted to time so she would be able to spend time with Kaley and the baby over summer break—maybe she should get a job for some extra cash. They didn't really need it, not that they were too well off to work, but Edward had finished up school and was working as a case worker for Forks County. He loved his job and Bella couldn't have been happier for him. He deserved to finally get his chance at doing what he wanted.

She walked Kaley down to the preschool room and Clair, Kaley's teacher—who was also Tyler's on again/off again girlfriend yelled to her to wait. "Bella," she said, bursting through the door and letting Kaley pass her to go play, "I need to talk to you."

_Here we go._ "What's up, Clair?" Bella asked, bracing herself for a fifteen minute bitchfest about Tyler. Only she noticed Clair was tearing up. "What's wrong?"

"You can't breathe a word of this to Ty...or anyone else at the station...but I'm pregnant!"

Bella's eyes became as big as saucers as she stared at the first year teacher. Tyler had met Clair, who was James's and Annie's niece at their wedding a few years ago. They fought like cats and dogs, and according to Edward, made love just as much. "Is it Ty's?" Bella asked, immediately realizing that was the wrong thing to say. _Damn verbal filter!_

"Yes, it's Ty's! I don't know what to do. He's going to kill me. I'm going to kill him. We're going to kill each other!"

"Relax, no one is killing anyone. Have you been to a doctor?"

"Yes. I'm already three months in."

Bella tried her best to talk her friend off the ledge but what she really wanted to do was fall on the floor and throw a Kaley sized hissy fit. It wasn't fair. Bella knew it was terrible to think about it that way but it wasn't. She and Edward were married, they had their lives together, and yet they'd tried every position, old wives tale, and trick in the book to no avail. "Clair, you need to just tell him. You don't look it now but you can't hide it for forever. Besides, what if he wants to be a part of the doctors appointments and things? Tell him."

"I know. I will. I just need time to get used to it myself."

"Do you want me to have Edward talk to him?" Bella asked, suddenly tired. _How the hell does my husband always get involved in other people's pregnancies? _

"Yes! I mean no. No. That would be the coward's way. I'll tell him. Soon."

"Alright, I have to get up to my room before the kiddos come. You have our number if you ever need anything. I'll be back at the end of school to get Kaley."

"Alright," she said, turning to go back in. "Oh, wait! Sorry, I forgot, you might want to come down a little early today. I have a sub coming in so I can meet with a little boy's parents. I'm two steps away from calling Protective Services but I want to meet them first."

"No problem. Is this the infamous Daveraux's?" Bella had heard talk about them ever since she started teaching. In fact, she had the older Daveraux boy her first year. He was really withdrawn but she hadn't suspected anything too bad. For her first year, she was so worried about getting a good classroom environment and management skills down, she was proud she even noticed the boy was that different from the others. The youngest boy, Robby, was definitely worse. She considered mentioning it to Edward but didn't want to breach confidentiality.

"Oh, yeah. I hear their dad is a real treat. I can't wait," Claire said sarcastically. Being that she was a first year teacher, Bella had to give her props for trying to face down this boys parents. She would have just alerted Irina, the counselor, to deal with it.

"Alright, I'll be down as soon as I can for her. With third grade, I can get them to behave for five seconds. I'll have Donna keep an eye on them for me while they wait for buses."

"Okay..."

"Oh, one more thing. I'm trying to put together a surprise pool party for Edward next month. We're going to do it at Jazz and Ally's—I haven't really talked to them about it but it won't be a problem. Alice loves playing hostess."

Edward shut off his blue Jeep and looked around the property. It was an old farmhouse just outside of town and the family was known for their use of firearms. They knew they had the right to bear them and damn if they didn't take advantage of it. From what he could tell, they really were nice people, just a little backwards. Seeing that no one was pointing a gun at him, he grabbed his clipboard and walked to the front door. Josephina Theresa answered his first knock, holding a little baby to her chest—the same little baby he was there to determine the fate of. "Hey, Jo," he said with a smile, trying to keep things light.

She sighed and stepped to the side for him to come in. "Darren isn't here."

He didn't know why she said it, or why it came out in a rush, but he watched the baby take her hair in his fists and kick his legs happily. "How's little Joshua doing?"

"Well." He looked at her, trying to gauge the strain in her voice as she stood in front of him, looking like she wanted to take off running. She was from Spain with big almond eyes and black braided hair. She was only eighteen and married to an American man who was twelve years older than her.

"Jo, what's going on? He's not here. This is your chance to tell me."

"You should leave. If he comes back and you're here..."

"Jo. Come on. What would he do?" she turned away from him and he saw the hand mark on her neck. "Would he give me a nice little bruise like he gave to you?"

"That was...an...accident..."

"Alright, I can't do anything for you since you're over eighteen and refusing to take action against him. Here's the deal, though. Joshua, your little son, is depending on you to protect him. Are you able to do that, Jo? Are you?" Edward asked, getting to the point.

"He never, ever laid a hand on him. Ever. He loves Joshua. It's me he doesn't love. The only reason I'm here is to have his kids and keep his house..."

"And you're okay with that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. It's a better life than what I was living. Darren saved me, he just doesn't feel that girls should work..."

"You want to work?"

"Well, sort of...I think so..."

"What if Joshua was a girl? Would he hurt the baby then? Jo, please just consider your future children as well as Joshua and yourself. Is this really the life you want? You're officially an American citizen. You don't have to live like this."

"It's how I was raised, Mr. Cullen. It's all I know."

"Jo..."

"I'm fine. It's just a bump and Joshua is happy and healthy. Now, you got to see the baby and you know he's okay. Go before Darren gets here."

Edward hung his head and agreed, not because he didn't care about this young, lost girl but because he didn't know how her husband would treat her if he saw Edward there without him being there was well. "I'll be back. I'm not convinced that baby is safe. Jo, if I find out he hurts Joshua, you're going to lose your son unless you're willing to leave Darren. Here's a card for the safe house we work with. If you need to get out of here go there. If you call, someone will come get you."

"That won't be necessary but thank you, Mr. Cullen."

Edward walked back to the Jeep and ran his hands over his tired face. The whole situation with this family made him sick and this was the first time he had gotten to see the girl without her husband breathing down her neck. He reminded himself that he wasn't there to protect her, he was there to protect her son, if she didn't want help then there was nothing he could do. He worked with families like this everyday.

After making a note to come back in a few days, Edward got the hell out of there, not wanting to cause problems for the young girl—well, more than she already had. On the way to his next stop, he passed Forks Elementary and thought of his wife and daughter. Looking back over the past couple of years, he realized now that it was hard but they learned he and Bella could get through anything after that. The biggest challenge shook not only their little family, but the whole department family as well. They lost Annie to breast cancer four months after the wedding. It was something they were all still dealing with but knew she wouldn't want them to stop their lives for her. While they lost Annie, they had gained Clair but he really didn't want to think about the train wreck Tyler was headed for with the kind, sweet girl.

It had taken Bella awhile to cope with Jake being away then there was school for him. That had turned out to be an experience and a half. Had it not been for Bella pushing him, he probably would have given up hope and stayed at his boring desk job. Lilly was born just after the wedding and Jazz and Ally had been married a little less than a year ago. It was the same night that he and Bella tried to conceive for the first time—and it had continued for months up until now.

He didn't know how many more times he could take seeing her disappointed face when the test read negative. He didn't know if it was him, her, or a mixture of them both but they were definitely both frustrated. Trying not to let her know that, he tried to put on a face, telling her it was fine. Honestly, it was fine with him. While he wanted a baby, he wanted Bella healthy and from what he knew, she was. He just reminded himself that it wasn't their time, everything happens for a reason, and they shouldn't give up. God, was it frustrating though.

His next stop was going to be a breeze, it was his last visit to an older couple who had a child with autism, the hospital just wanted him to check in on them, there had never been a problem reported nor had he ever seen one. They were nice, just a little clueless sometimes. His cell phone started to ring and he hit the green button to accept it. "Cullen, we need you to make a special trip to the elementary school. It's a new case. Can you come by after your next client so we can brief you? The meeting is at two thirty this afternoon."

"Um...yeah. Gary, what's going on?" Edward knew this was definitely not protocol, he only ever got same day appointments if they were already under his care—even then it was rare for them to not tell him until a few hours before he had to meet someone. He sighed as Gary told him that they'd talk at the office, though it was okay with Edward, he had another call coming through.

"Edward?" He had no idea why Bella always said is name as if she wanted to be sure it was him, it's not like she wasn't sure of who she was calling.

"What's wrong?" he asked, deciding to pull over. The last thing he needed was to get pulled over for talking and driving.

"I have news. Big news. I couldn't keep it to myself but I can't tell Alice because it'll get back to Tyler..."

"Breathe. What's the news? Wait. What does Ty have to do with this?" Edward asked slowly, officially deciding it was bad news.

"He's going to be a dad. Clair's pregnant."

"What?" Edward's jaw about hit his lap.

"Yup. That was pretty much my reaction, too."

"Does she know for sure?"

"Yup. She's been to the doctor. It's been confirmed. She's three months in," after a brief silence Bella asked him if he was still there.

"Yeah. Look, don't say anything to anyone else. Clair needs to do this on her own, love. This is for her and Tyler to deal with."

"I know. I know."

"Alright, well, I have to start driving again. I got a new assignment today so I'll probably be even later than planned. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm going to go over Rose's with Kaley. Alice is going to come over and visit, too. Jazz has a meeting tonight so she's solo too."

"Alright. Bells, about this morning. I love you. If it happens it happens. If you're really starting to get discouraged, we could always consider other options..."

"I love Kaley. You know that but I want that experience..."

"I know you do. I just want you to know that I'll love you regardless. This isn't the hardest thing we've been through and I don't blame you for it. It could just as easily be my fault..."

"You got Tanya pregnant, Edward. This isn't you. This is me. I have to go, lunch is over and the kids will be back soon. Be safe and I'll see you tonight."

"I love you, baby."

"I know. I love you, too."

"Alright, Cullen. Here's the deal. We got a call from the school today and at first nothing was suspected but one of the preschool teachers talked to the guidance counselor after an incident this morning. Something isn't right with one of her students and we've had a couple other complaints about this family as well. Here's their file. I'm handing them to you because honestly you're the only guy here and the dad is a real piece of work."

This wasn't abnormal. With the majority of the case workers he worked with being female, he was sent out a lot to deal with the violent types. Usually, he felt awkward having to be supportive of mainly the mothers and small children, most of which were abused by their husbands and afraid of him. It was times like this when he felt perfect for the job, if not unsettled to think that they were sending him in because they were concerned for their female employees. That just showed what the poor child must be going through.

He went through the file, there wasn't much, just a few notes consisting of the boy's name, address, school, and parent's and siblings names. It was obvious that no one had investigated them before with the lack of notes available. He had no idea what he was getting himself into but wondered what classroom he was being sent to. He immediately thought of Clair. This could turn out to be a very interesting afternoon.

**I know this chapter was a lot different from the other chapters of this story. This IS an Edward and Bella story and there will be more of both of them together in the upcoming chapters. I really hope you are still with me and like this story. Please, please tell me how you feel about it. Lots of love to all the reviews from the previous chapter. You guys freaking rock! LP xx**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 34**

After signing in at the school, Irina Ferreni came out to talk to him. Irina was the guidance counselor for the school and he knew her from employee picnics he'd gone to with Bella and a few cases he'd worked on before. "They should be here any minute, Edward. Come on back."

Edward followed her and who else but Clair would be sitting in her office? She looked nervous and Edward didn't blame her, he tried to make a mental note to talk to her about the Tyler situation when the meeting was over. He'd been to enough of these to know that they'd be going over papers and things after the meeting. That's when he saw him. Robert Joseph Daveraux was the same age as Kaley but from the look in the little boys eyes, he'd had one hell of a life. One that he would die before letting Kaley experience.

When Edward sat down, the little boy slid closer to Clair. It wasn't a voluntary reaction, it seemed as if the boy acted on instinct. "Hey, Edward," Clair said with a small smile, "this is Robby. Robby, this is Edward. He's a friend of mine and our friend Kaley's daddy. He's very nice, buddy."

Edward watched the little boy look up at him and felt his heart clench. Clair had been right to call someone. Something was seriously, seriously wrong in this little boy's life. "This is bullshit. There is nothing wrong with our son!" a loud voice boomed through the office on the other side of the door.

Edward pulled his eyes from the still-closed door, wanting to see the reaction of the little boy when his parents walked in. It told him exactly what he thought, as the little boy's nails dug into the table top, Edward swore to himself that he was going to help this little guy. "Mr. Daveraux, this is Mr. Cullen..."

"I don't give a shit who he is. I want to know why you called me out of work to discuss my son. What the hell did he do now?" the man questioned Irina, not caring who Edward was.

"Please, why don't you both sit down and we can discuss it."

"What did you do, boy?"

Edward watched the little boy's mother, she kept her head down, not once looking at her son. If he ever lost his damn mind and treated Kaley that way, he prayed to God that Bella would beat the shit out of him, not just act as a doormat. Then again, it was Bella. She'd kill him—and Edward wouldn't have it any other way.

"Mr. Davaraux, Miss Smith called to our attention today that your son came to school and wasn't wearing underwear. Our school nurse gave him a brand new pair—she keeps extra pairs of clothes in case of accidents—but then she noticed that when he bent to put them on, he had bruises all over his back. There were also scars..."

"He's a clumsy kid," the father snapped, "he fell down the stairs a few days ago. As for the underpants, the kid probably refused to put them on for his mother."

Edward watched as the the father glared at the mother before turning a sickly sweet smile on Irina. "As for the scars, they were from when he was learning to walk. No big deal. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to have to head back to work. Some of us have to work for a living."

Edward spoke up then, realizing the man was going to use his bulk to intimidate the the women. "Sir, your son is not the problem here. You need to understand that the state is going to be looking into your home life to protect your son..."

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked with a look of disgust on his face.

"As I tried to tell you before," Irina put in, "this is Mr. Cullen. He's a case worker for Child Protective Services..."

"We're done here. My wife and I have better things to do than sit here and be told how to raise our son." As the man stood up, so did Edward, suddenly feeling angry.

"Mr. Davaraux, I will be paying a visit to your home very soon. We can finish this discussion then."

The man glared at him before looking at his son, who visibly gulped and stared at his parents with wide eyes. "Let's go, Robert. Now."

With that, the family was gone and Edward was still standing there, staring at the door they had just walked out of. "What an asshole," Clair said, shaking her head and getting Edward's attention.

"This isn't over," Edward vowed to her and Irina.

"Is there anything we can do to keep them from taking him?" Irina asked, fake hope in her voice.

"No. I don't have the rights to just take him from his parents. I'd need a court order and we don't have good grounds for it yet."

"How much more evidence do you need for it?" Clair demanded, obviously shaken.

"More than what we have. There's truly nothing we can do tonight, Clair."

"Well, stop by tomorrow and we'll take action to get things in order to stop whatever is going on with that little one. Clair, dear, you did the right thing. Mr. Cullen, it was nice seeing you again, it's too bad it was under these circumstances. I need to make a few phone calls. Can you come back tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah. No problem."

After Irina was gone, Edward turned to Clair who was standing up and heading for the door. "Don't be mad at her but Bella told me about your...situation."

She stopped in her tracks, "Edward, please don't say anything. I'm going to tell him this weekend..."

"I wouldn't say anything. Anyway, I have some papers to go over with you, it would really help if I could get some statements from you. Would you be willing to sit down with me?"

"Yeah, let's go back to the room. I need to get a bulletin board hung up for tomorrow and we can talk while I do that."

When they got to the classroom that Edward had been many times for Kaley's open houses, he saw his wife leaning against Clair's desk, laughing at something a guy who looked her age had said. Kaley was playing at her desk with a puzzle and as soon as she saw him, she jumped up and ran to him. Edward knew he was being ridiculous, that Bella would never do what Tanya did, but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of his wife. As soon as she heard Kaley say 'daddy' Bella spun around in surprise.

"Edward! Hi!"Bella looked guilty and he pushed the bad thoughts out of his mind while forcing a smile.

"Hey, Bella," he said, kissing Kaley on the cheek.

"Matt, this is my husband, Edward. Edward this is Matt. We went to school together at UFW. Matt filled in for Clair during the meeting...wait...you were assigned to that case?" she asked, walking over to him with a look of curiosity.

"Yeah. The parents are a real piece of work," he said, pulling her towards him for a hug.

"Well, Clair, the kids were great and I'll come back anytime you need me."

"Thanks. I'm glad they behaved. I'll request you next time I'm out."

Bella gave a him a small smile after he said goodbye. Turning to Edward he said, "It was nice meeting you, man. I've heard a lot about you and your little girl."

After he was gone, Edward set Kaley down and Bella looked at him with a strange, sad look. "Clair told me what happened this morning...I had Robby's older brother Caleb."

"Did you suspect anything? Could you give a statement?"

"I can but he was just withdrawn, Edward, really quiet. I looked often but never saw a bruise. He hardly talked at all."

"Alright, well, I'm going to stick around and talk to Clair."

"Okay," she said quietly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you at home tonight. Be careful."

"I will be. Give me a couple hours and I'll meet you at Rose's."

"Hi, Auntie Bella!" Lilly called as Kaley waved to her and the little girls headed off to Lilly's room to play.

Bella found Rose in the kitchen, reading through a big book of recipes. "Will Edward eat liver?"

"Um..hello...and no. I don't know anyone who would eat liver..."

"Ugh!"

"Still going crazy from not working?" Bella asked with a frown.

"I'm losing my damn mind, Bells. I have to find a job."

"How many batches did you make today?" Bella asked, cringing.

"Six. Six batches of brownies."

"Maybe you should look into doing something outside of the kitchen..." Bella suggested.

"I've already repainted every room in the house. Every damn one. Lilly told me today that Emmett told her I was losing my mind. Bella, I'm _not _losing my mind...I'm _bored_."

"I know. Do you let Emmett cook anymore? I know he loves to."

"That's why I was asking about the liver. I was going to cook lunches for Edward..."

"Okay, enough. If you spoil my husband and then go back to work, he'll expect it from me and that's not happening. Unless you make him peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese sandwiches, I can't let you do that."

"I know. I know..."

"Mommy, can we pway outside?" Lilly asked, running in with Kaley on her heels.

"Yeah, come on, honey. I think we could all use some fresh air."

Alice showed up about five minutes after they were seated on the patio. "Hello, ladies!" she called out cheerfully, making a grand entrance onto the deck.

"Hey, Al," they both said, looking glum.

"Oh, come on. The sun is shining, we're all healthy, our men are leaving us alone...it's a great day!"

"Yeah," Bella said dryly, while Rose didn't say anything at all.

"Fine. Be party-poopers," Alice pouted, plopping down on the seat by Bella. As soon as Kaley and Lilly saw her, they ran over to their eccentric Aunt Ally and gave her big hugs.

"So, is anything happening outside of these boring, multi-colored walls of the McCarty home?" Rose asked to no one in particular.

"Edward's being a workaholic like normal. Kaley is almost finished with preschool. I can't wait for a day off."

Alice stayed quiet, which is very strange. When no one said anything else, Bella asked, "Al, have you heard anything from Jake? At all?"

"No but he never really talks to me. Not since he left for boot camp. I mean, we talk when he's home but he's always written to you, not really to me. Why?"

"I haven't heard from him either, in almost two weeks. It's not like him. Usually, I get a letter a week. Tomorrow's Friday and I haven't heard from him this week or last. I'm a little worried."

"Where is he now?"

"Kuwait."

"I'm sure he's fine. Maybe you should just write back to him...I'm sure he's just busy."

"I didn't write back on the 30th. I guess I'll give it a couple more days..."

"What's today? The third?"

"The fifth," Bella responded, knowing all too well what day it was.

"Oh. Oh," Alice said, putting her hands over her mouth. "Bella, I'm sorry, I didn't realize what today was. Any news?"

"It was negative," Bella said, feeling even more deflated. Yes, Rosalie and Alice were both aware of her and Edward's little tradition—in fact they'd gotten a lot of their old wive's tales from the two girls.

"Oh." Alice went back to watching the two little girls playing. Kaley was attempting to push Lilly in one of Lilly's baby strollers.

"She wants a little sister or brother so bad..." Bella said quietly.

"In due time, Bells," Rose assured her, patting her hand.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take. I mean, I know that it's not life or death. Some people just can't conceive. I guess we're just one of those couples...I just never thought we'd _be _one of those couples..."

"Everything happens for a reason, Bella. Have you thought about other options? IVF is expensive but I know a few people who it worked for..."

"It's really expensive and there's no guarantee it will work."

"What about adoption?"

"I have nothing against it but that's expensive as well and I just...I want a baby. I want Edward's baby..."

"What about artificial insemination?" Alice suggested. "Someone else could carry the baby. It would be your eggs with Edward's...you know..."

"Al, no. I don't think that's for us."

"Well, what about foster parenting? Edward already has his certification for it. He's registered with the state. I'm sure you could find a really sweet kid that could maybe lead to adoption..."

Bella was getting frustrated. "No. Guys, I know you're trying to help but I don't want any of that. I want to carry and deliver Edward's baby on my own. I would literally give my left arm to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen."

"Well, Bella, I know you aren't drinking but I sure as hell could go for a wine cooler. Do you want anything while I'm up? Al, I'll bring you out a strawberry daiquiri."

"No," Alice said, quickly, panic clear on her face.

"Okay...do you just want a wine cooler then?"

"No...no alcohol..." Alice cringed, as if she was saying something she thought the two girls were going to yell at her for.

That's when Bella knew. Alice Whitlock was going to be a mother, as was Clair, and Rose was already three years ahead of her. "Alice, you're pregnant." Bella meant it to come out a question but it turned into more of a statement.

"Um...yes?" Alice responded, a look of guilt on her face.

Bella smiled and pulled her friend in for a hug. "Honey, this is amazing! Is Jazz excited?"

"Yeah. Really excited. He already bought paint to work on the nursery."

"How far along are you?" Rosalie asked, giving her a hug as well.

"Just a month. We wanted to wait to tell everyone...Bella, you're not mad are you?"

"Oh my, God, Ally! I wouldn't be mad at you for something like this! This is great. Really. You and Jazz are going to be the best parents!"

"Well, this calls for a celebratory drink! Sparkling cider for everyone!"

Bella held her chin up and downed her cider, agreeing with Rosalie that they would have to throw a shower and start shopping for cute outfits. Bella herself even suggested the three of them hang out and do the registry together—which Alice kindly turned down, saying she wanted that to be something she and Jasper did together. When Rose asked if it would be okay for Kaley to eat supper there, she agreed, needing some time to herself. So, she got into her car and cried the whole way home.

Of course she was happy for Alice, of course she was in no way mad at her best friend. Was she upset? Sure. Was she frustrated? Sure. She sent Edward a text telling him she was home when she walked in the house, kicking her heels off and heading up to the kitchen to start dinner for the two of them. She had thawed out hamburger and decided to make tacos, not wanting to turn on the oven. She was just stirring the seasoning in when she heard the front door open.

"Hey, Bells," Edward said a few minutes later, sitting down at the kitchen table and looking over some papers.

"Hey," she said quietly, before realizing that she hadn't gotten the mail yet today. "I'll be right back. Watch the meat!"

She slid on her flip-flops and raced to the mailbox. Inside was a stack of mail which she refrained from going through as she stood on the road. Heading back into the house, she dumped into on the table a flipped through it. Credit card advertisements, a couple magazines, and information on health insurance was all it consisted of. Trying to not seem disappointed, Bella went back over to stir the meat one last time before turning it off.

She brought the food over to Edward and sat down beside him, noticing he must have changed at some point since he'd gotten home. "How was your day?" Distracted, he looked up and asked what she had said. "I made tacos. That's all I said..."

"No, it's not but thank you for dinner," he pushed the papers away and kissed her.

"You know, I haven't spoken to Matt since graduation. Nothing is going on..." Bella said reassuringly, knowing he didn't mean to be the jealous type—it had been forced into him.

"I know, Bells."

"Then why did you have that look?" she asked, playfully.

"What look?"

"The look that tells me you're still hurting from what your ex-wife did to you years ago."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Just know that nothing is going on between me and any other guy on this planet. You're my husband and you are the most important."

"I love you," he said with a smirk.

"I know. Alice is pregnant," Bella blurted, wanting to get it out, like ripping off a band-aid.

"Really? When did you find out?" he asked, a small frown on his face.

"An hour ago. She told us at Rosalie's. I think she was putting off telling me..."

"Should she have?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"No! I'm not mad at her."

"Are you upset, though? That's probably what she was trying to prevent. She didn't want to upset you."

"No...yes...I don't know! I'm just frustrated. Especially after what Clair told me. She and Tyler shouldn't even be dating let alone having a baby. They fight, constantly. Why should they get a baby and not us? Then Alice is pregnant, too. Why is everyone pregnant on the same damn day? Oh, God, I can't believe I just said all of that out loud..." Bella rambled.

"You're being honest. So, can I be honest with you?"

"Yes."

"I think we need to stop trying so hard. We can look at other options..."

At that point, Bella had enough. "No! No. I do _not_ want to quit trying and if one more person tells me to look at other options, I'm going to freaking puke!"

"I didn't say quit...Bella, I'm sorry..."

"No. You don't get it. You have a daughter who is your own flesh and blood already! What the hell is wrong with me, Edward? Why can't I get pregnant? Why? Do you know how many years we tried _not_ to get pregnant? I mean, all you hear about is the teenage pregnancy rates and blah blah blah. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

She looked at Edward looking at her and immediately felt like she'd just gone nuts. It was all the truth though, every last word. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Never think that. Fuck the other options then. At least let me go to the doctors with you. Let them do some tests on us and that way maybe they can give us some answers."

"I don't want to know," she whispered.

"About what?"

"If I can't get pregnant. I don't want to know..."

"Why not? At least then we can quit wasting time..."

"What if I can't, Edward?"

"Then you can't."

"I don't want you to leave me."

Edward set down his fork and looked at her for what felt like hours. "Bella, if you can't have a baby, then_ we_ can't have a baby. I can't believe you seriously just said that out loud, that you honestly think I'd leave you so I could go knock someone else up."

"Edward..." Bella said, trying to call him back to her as he pushed his chair out and walked back to the door.

"I'm going out for a run, Bella. I'll be home later. Why don't you do us both a favor and try to remember what the fuck til death do us part means." Bella jumped as she heard the front door slam shut. He'd be back, he always came back but Bella had definitely lost her appetite.

**I still can't believe how many amazing reviews I've been getting! I'm trying to update daily since you are keeping it up. I really would like to hear what you think about the direction this story is going in. Before you rip Edward a new one, remember, he's frustrated too. There's a lot to come for these two so enjoy the ride and hit the review button. I'll hold up my end of the deal by updating tomorrow :) (As long as the site doesn't pull one of those days where it won't let me update.) You are all so, so awesome and mean a lot to me! LP xx**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 35**

Bella sat with her head in her hands on the edge of the bed. Tears came freely as she desperately wished she hadn't said what she had to Edward. She knew it was stupid, that he'd never leave her, but she had seen countless movies and read countless stories about how couples divorced because of the stress from not being able to conceive. Now, because that was what she was worried about, they were fighting. In all actuality she realized she just selfishly wanted to hear him reassure her. She looked up at their wedding picture and remembered back to the times when sex wasn't about procreation, when it was about showing each other how much they loved each other. Her favorite was the night he had proposed, when they took what they needed from each other for none other than the simple reason that they could.

She decided that maybe he was right, maybe they should just quit trying so hard. There was no way in hell he meant 'let's not have sex anymore' so she just gave in. If it was meant to happen, they wouldn't stop it but she was done fighting for it. She had Kaley, Edward, and her job. It's not like she was missing out on motherhood. Standing up, she went back to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine. It was from their wedding and as she uncorked it on the bed, she sat back and looked at their wedding picture again. By the time Edward was back, she had drank a third of the bottle—it had been one year and two months since she'd had alcohol, wanting to make sure it was out of her system before she got pregnant. Carlisle told her she was being slightly paranoid but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Edward came back, sweat coating the gray t-shirt he wore, as if he had just run a marathon. "You shouldn't run when it's this hot out. You're going to end up having a stroke."

"I'm fine. I'm not that old..." his voice trailed off.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You're_ not_ that old. Quit worrying about turning thirty. It happens to most people, ya know?"

"I know. I know." he plopped down on the bed, raising an eyebrow after seeing the bottle in her hand.

"I need it." Bella made it a statement that dared him to challenge that fact.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did...I'm just..."

"Getting pissed off at the situation?" Liquid courage was bringing out the inner, harder Bella. She realize it felt good.

"Yeah. I''m sorry."

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. It's my ovaries that are the problem."

"You don't know that, though..."

"Edward, please, unless something happened since Kaley was conceived, you're obviously able to reproduce. I on the other hand have never tried and FYI I'm failing horribly at it."

"You're not failing me, Bella. You're trying to give me something that's not in your control. While I shouldn't have said it the way I did, I wasn't actually lying, either. I'm in this, with you, for life. I don't care if you never get pregnant. I just don't want us to be one of those couples that puts their whole life on hold waiting for a baby that is never going to come. I want to live my life with you. I'm happy with us just the way we are and if a baby happens, that's just a plus."

"See, this is another part that frustrates me, though. You can't understand what this is like because you have a daughter who is you. She has your eyes, and your smile, and when you look at her, you see you. You're a guy. You don't understand what it's like to want to go through pregnancy and delivery and to know that after nine months you gave birth to a little person who means the entire world to you. You can't understand that and I know you can't. It's just frustrating because when you say things like 'it doesn't matter' if makes me feel like I'm doing this for myself but not for us."

"Yeah, I have Kaley. I love Kaley. I would die for Kaley. Bella, as much as you've changed both of our lives...for the better...Tanya Denali is still a part of her. I look at you and you are the opposite of everything Tanya stood for. Everything. There is nothing about the two of you that is the same. She couldn't even pretend to love me like you actually do. I _dream_ of getting to hold a baby that has your eyes, or your smile, or even your hair that you complain so much about. I just want you to realize that I am in no way blaming you for _our_ inability to get pregnant. I am very, very grateful to you for it. Like I said, you're trying your damnedest to give me a baby. That means more to me than anything."

Taking a long pull from her bottle, Bella shook her head, "I'm really upset."

He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I know. I know, baby. This is all going to work out, though. You'll see. There has to be a reason for it."

Later that night after they had picked up Kaley, Bella found Edward back in the office working on his computer. He was pulling up article after article, the name Davareaux in the search box. "Baby, you coming to bed?" Bella asked, pulling her robe tighter, despite the hot evening.

"Yeah..." Edward said absently, obviously not having heard a word she said. Walking over, she placed her hand on his shoulder and that seemed to get his attention. He pulled her toward him and into his lap, kissing her cheek.

"What are you working on?"

"I'm trying to build some sort of case against this family. Are you sure you don't remember anything about Caleb?"

"I can dig out my notes and things I took about strange behavior. I keep a little book every year but I really don't think I saw anything that would lead me to suspect abuse. I had to report another little boy but I know it wasn't Caleb."

"Alright. Yeah, look through your book when you can. Bells, I've been out on a lot of cases, you know that. I mean, it's been over a year since I started this job, but this is different. When most people smack their kids around they think they are just disciplining them, they try to justify it. These people, though, they're hiding something..."

"Clair says the little boy is a delight to have, that he never acts out, that he does exactly what he'd supposed to. He's the only one that follows directions perfectly. Before she had you called in, she still planned to meet with his parents today—she wanted the meeting even before she found the bruises."

"Why?"

"When has Kaley ever been the perfect child, Edward?" Bella didn't wait for him to respond to her rhetorical question. "She hasn't because she's _not_ perfect. No child is. That little boy isn't well behaved, he's scared. She said he's afraid of other boy students and I was worried about how he is with girls—because of Kaley being in his class—and she told me that he stands up for them. He doesn't really talk to any of the kids but if something happens on the playground, he lets it go. Even at that young age, they still tease. Apparently, he stood up for a little girl who was pushed by a little boy. If he gets pushed, though, he won't fight back."

"How was Caleb in that department?"

"He was withdrawn from the other kids but it didn't matter who they were, boys or girl. I did ask Irina to talk to him once because he seemed to have trouble making friends but we eventually decided that he was really shy and just needed time. He was excellent with his grades and never gave me any trouble."

"Did you ever meet his parents?" Edward asked, suddenly tensing underneath her.

"Just his mom. He rode the bus everyday, no one ever picked him up, but one day he had an accident and she had to bring him new pants..."

"Did that happen often?" Edward asked.

"No. That was the only time. She came and dropped them off, I had the other kids outside and another teacher was keeping an eye on them. That was the week Jill, the nurse, was out on vacation. I had no other choice but to call her to bring him clean clothes. Anyway, she showed up and he went into the bathroom and handed her the soiled ones. I thought it was odd because she put them in a bag and threw them away, instead of just washing them. I mean, it's not like Kaley's never had an accident—I wouldn't throw her clothes away, they just needed washed. I figured they just had a germ complex or something."

Edward shook his head, "Thomas Davareaux is beating the hell out of his son. That's what's happening and the mother knows. She's just not doing anything about it. The man's intimidating, I could tell Clair was shook up after and that little boy...he was afraid of me but when his father walked in I thought he'd have a panic attack."

Bella shivered a little, goosebumps tickling her flesh. "I can't understand how anyone could hurt a child. I don't like it but spanking is one thing. Your child should never be afraid of you, should never doubt that you love them."

"I know. There's no doubt in my mind that there's abuse here. That's what this is. I just have to convince the state the same thing and I've seen way too many times when kids are forgotten by them."

"Well, honey, there's nothing you can do about it now. Come to bed with me. Please," Bella pleaded. Edward carried her into the bedroom and spread out beside her, stretching his tall body over the whole length of the bed. Bella watched him, the way his muscles tightened, and she slid closer to wrap her arms around his taut waist. "Thank you."

"For what," he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Being here. Being a good father. A good husband..." Bella trailed kisses up his abs with each sentence.

As was normal, each night they would get to work, hoping like hell that they would create life...while having a little fun. Tonight, though, just when she thought he would begin their little happy dance, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. "Let's take a break tonight. Tell me about your day. How are the girls?"

Bella didn't know what to say at fist, feeling slightly rejected. Then, she saw that he was looking at her with a very satisfied expression and she cuddled into him before saying, "Not too much happened for me today, the kids are ready to be done for the summer. I really just spent the afternoon trying to keep them awake. The girls are doing well. Rose is going stir crazy."

"Well, she's not used to not working, Bells. I mean, yeah when she had Lilly she was expecting to take off but no one expected her to get laid off," Edward said, playing with her hair.

"Can I make a suggestion? Please don't get upset. It's just a suggestion."

"Okay..."

"Why don't you let her take over what Annie took care of. Like the books and things for the department. Emmett makes enough that she doesn't need to work so I'm sure a low salary isn't something she's worried about..."

"I don't know..."

"Alright. Just bring it up with the guys sometime. If it's too painful still that's fine but when I was at the station last week, I saw those books. James isn't that great with it. You guys need someone who knows what they're doing..."

"I'll bring it up with James."

"It's been three years, Edward." When he didn't say anything, Bella kissed him. "So, what made you not want to try tonight?"

"I just need a break. It's been a rough day. Bells, I need you to promise me that if you ever run into Caleb and Robby's dad that you'll stay quiet and just walk away. That man is bad news. God, some of the fucked up men I deal with on a basis. There's an eighteen year old girl who was pushed into an arranged marriage with a man who's a lot older than her and wants nothing more than for her to have his kids. It's sickening..."

"There's a lot of bad people out there, Edward."

They both became silent and he asked, "Have you spoken to Jake lately?"

"No. It's been two weeks. I'm going to write him again tomorrow."

"Well, what do you say we get some sleep? I'm exhausted and have another ridiculous day ahead of me tomorrow."

That morning Edward had woken up to the worst hard on he'd had in months. He'd become so used to sex every day that when he didn't get it, it was like he needed his fix. Sure when Bella had her period or when she was just simply too tired, he would refrain. Last night, after seeing how the piece of shit husbands he had to deal with treated their own wives, he realized that he needed to just be with Bella, let her know that she was safe. Bella was definitely going through REM sleep, her eyes moving under their lids. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, her long hair spilling over her pillow as she had her hand curled under her chin.

Running a finger down her bare arm, Edward felt the goosebumps rise and saw her nipples harden. The little points accented the white lace nightgown she wore and he couldn't resist reaching out and touching them. To his surprise, her body jerked and a smile came across her face. She didn't wake up though and he decided to have a little fun after looking at the clock and seeing that she wouldn't lose much sleep if she woke up now.

Bringing his finger to trace her collar bone down to her sternum, he felt his hard member straining against the waistband on his shorts. "Edward," she whispered, still asleep. So, he kept going, working lower. The nightgown was pushed up from her moving around during the night and her thigh was completely exposed. He traced the line of her panties and he heard her make an almost purring noise before opening her eyes slowly. "Morning, baby," she said, groggily.

"Morning," he smiled, kissing her on the lips. It started out as a few sequential pecks but soon, his tongue found hers and she was on top of him. He didn't know when the moment was that he realized what she was doing but he remembered the exact moment that she thrust herself down over him. He grunted loudly and she put her mouth over his again, riding him, her knees resting right by his hips. He rolled then, taking control and picking up the pace. He moaned loudly and she brought her hand up to put it over his mouth. He moaned against it and Bella let herself come undone. Seconds later, he was beside her, stretched out on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. "The break is over," was all he said, out of breath and with a smirk.

The day started out relatively normal. It was a Friday, he had two clients in the morning and the Davareaux mess to figure out in the afternoon. So, when he pulled up to Forks Elementary at eight o'clock in the morning, he wondered what the hell he was doing. "Mr. Cullen," Veronica, the secretary, said in surprise, "Mrs. Cullen is probably down in her room..."

"I'm here to see Miss Smith. I won't be long."

"Oh. Okay. Well, here's a visitors pass. Just sign in on that paper there," she said pointing to a sheet with a pen attached to it.

Clair was sitting at her desk, doing something on her computer when Edward knocked on the door, causing her to jump out of her seat and hold her hand to her heart. "Scare the crap out of me, why don't ya?" she said sarcastically.

"Sorry. I want to be here when Robby gets in this morning. I want to see how he reacts with the other kids."

He looked at her, watched the way she was shaking as she grasped her cell phone in her hand. Bella was horrible with her phone, he was lucky if he could get a hold of her on it when she _wasn't _at work. He knew the school had strict phone policies and cell phones were a no no, unless it was an emergency. "Clair, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine...come on, I can show you where his stuff his. His cubby is right over here..."

The little locker that belonged to Robby was very organized but unlike the other ones, which were decorated with Transformers and Barbie pictures, his was blank. The items in it were much more worn and even his gym clothes looked like they should just be thrown out. Edward would never dress Kaley in clothes that looked like that. "Does he keep this thing clean on his own?" Edward asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. I've never had to fight with him about stuff like that. I've never seen a child fold clothes so carefully. He actually showed Kaley how to fold her blanket after she stuffed it into her locker and couldn't shut the door.

"Daddy!" Kaley called, pleasantly surprised as he looked up to see Bella following her in.

"Hey, baby," he smiled, as Bella gave him a confused look.

"I wanted to talk to Robby before his dad came in today. I have to leave in a little bit, I have two clients on this morning."

"Well, I have to get up to my room. Kaley and I got caught up talking to Matt. He's subbing for Donna today. Clair, call my room if you need anything," Bella said, her eyes narrowing at her friend. Edward followed her gaze and saw that Clair was even paler than usual.

After Bella left, a few little ones started coming in and Kaley showed him everything in her desk. By everything, that included every pencil, paper, and folder she could find to pull out. He laughed and began to help her put it all away just as Robby walked in. He was dressed differently from the other kids, his clothes obviously handed down to him—probably from Caleb. He wore a blank expression on his face...until he saw Edward. The little boys eyes widened as he looked between Kaley, the mess on the floor, and Edward. Thankfully, Clair walked over to him, "Honey, take your things to your locker and come visit me at my desk."

Edward helped Kaley as he watched the little boy carefully put everything in it's place before quietly closing the metal locker and heading for his teacher's desk. Clair handed him a granola bar and the boy's face lit up. He couldn't get the wrapper open quick enough. At first, Edward kicked himself for leaving his notebook in the car but then thought better of it. There was no way he would forget these details about this little boy...detail one—he wasn't being fed at home. Technically, that should be detail two, detail one was that he was afraid of men. Detail three would be that he was very orderly.

"Daddy, you stay for school?" his little girl asked, looking at him happily, having no idea about what Edward was truly doing there.

"Daddy has to go, Kal. I'll see you and mommy after work, okay?"

As Edward left the school, he thought about Clair and how she definitely wasn't herself. Yeah, she was always a little shy, but she seemed downright scared that morning. He sent Tyler as text, **Clair okay? ****Saw her today. She seems upset.** A few seconds later he got a text back. **I don't know. I'll check in on her after work today. Thanks. Want to meet up for drinks later? Girls too. **Edward smiled at the honest concern Tyler had for the girl. Bella had always felt that Clair was making a huge mistake falling for Tyler Crowley, womanizer extraordinaire, but he had a good feeling about them. It was nice knowing that Tyler may have finally found someone who could tame him a little. **Yeah. I'll talk to Bella and see if we can get a sitter.**

The bar was packed with people everywhere. Bella was dressed in a short mini dress that she had stolen from Alice's closet. After school that day, Bella had gone over to hang out with her best friend, letting Alice do her hair while Kaley pretended to help. They discussed Edward's birthday and Alice automatically agreed to have it there. When they were married, she and Jazz bought a house that probably cost them their entire life savings to just have the chance to walk into. Jasper was working his ass off and Alice had ended up getting a contract to work with designers for fashion week in New York. Bella loved them both and was happy that they were happy but it was still hard to talk about baby plans. After dropping Kaley off at Esme's that night with Lilliana, Bella and Edward made their way to the bar.

It was packed, as was usual for a Friday night. It was different from the previous months when the colleges were open but it was definitely busy enough for Bella. A lot of people made her uncomfortable but they managed to get a table far enough out of the way that she was relaxed and ready to enjoy a night out. For the two of them, those nights were few and far between. They ordered drinks and some appetizers to munch on, waiting for Jasper, Alice, Tyler and Clair to show up. Emmett and Rosalie were already sitting across from them, laughing about how ridiculous a younger couple was over at the bar—they'd been kissing for about five minutes and didn't seem ready to come up for air. Bella thought it was sweet but didn't voice that opinion.

"Hey, everyone!" Alice said excitedly, pulling Jasper along with her.

"Hey!" Bella beamed, no matter how envious Bella was of Alice, there were absolutely no hard feelings between them.

"Sorry we're late. Jazz got out of work later than he was supposed to. Did you guys order?"

The night went on as normal and Tyler eventually showed up, sans Clair. He definitely seemed tense and Bella watched Edward look at her and roll his eyes. The two really did fight constantly. No one wanted to ask where she was, except Alice, who didn't know about the whole baby situation. "Where's the other half?"

Tyler shrugged and gulped down a beer. "Fuck if I know."

Alice seemed a little put out by his response and Jasper slid closer to her. Edward tried to diffuse the situation, "Did you stop by to see her?"

"Yeah. She's not home. I told her I'd be coming over and she wasn't there. It's just...whatever. If she doesn't want to see me then she doesn't want to see me. What am I going to do? Start stalking her?"

Bella knew Tyler well enough to know that behind his cocky, asshole behavior, he really was a nice guy. He put up a front. James hadn't come out with all of them since Annie passed, always using the excuse that he was too old for 'that stuff'. They had picked up a few recruits, though. Garrett and Mike joined them almost two years ago and never left. They kept to themselves mostly and Bella thought that they felt like intruders on the close group of veteran firefighters.

"Holy shit!" Emmett's whispered surprise even came out loud.

Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for him to say what got him so worked up, when they saw him looking at someone else at the bar. Bella thought the young couple decided to go at it all the way but was confused when she just saw three girls, all of which looked like they had way too much money and didn't know what to do with it. Bella felt Edward tense beside her and went back to picking at his nachos.

Tyler shook his head, "Good Lord. Can you say deja vu?"

While Edward and Bella were sitting beside each other, she was just as close to Tyler—which must have given the girl at the bar whom Emmett was staring at the go ahead to stare at her husband. Bella looked at the girl with her perky chest and perfectly salon finished hair. She also wore a pair of cut off shorts and a tight white tank top. Leaning back so that her back was to the bar and her elbows were resting against it, the girl stared intently at Edward, waiting for him to look up.

**Uh-oh. Sorry for the cliffy...this chapter was getting to be a bit long. I have to say that I have officially reached 600 reviews and there truly is nothing I can say to describe my gratitude to all of you! I literally teared up. I am honored that so many of you love this story. I even tried to write back to some people though I didn't have much time. I wish I could thank each of you individually but you'll just have to deal with daily updates...as long as you keep up the daily reviews ;) Love you all from the bottom of my heart! Letzigprincess xxoo**


	36. Chapter 36

**Something different: A warning is going to be given for this chapter and the next few. Child abuse will be discussed. I know some of you have trouble reading about it and I understand. Please, do not read if this is going to upset you...that is not my intention. If you want to know about the girl from the last chapter, you will be safe reading this first part so you can get your answers :) I don't think you will be disappointed.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 36**

Bella was getting more annoyed by the second and decided if someone didn't tell her who the hell this girl was...and soon...she was going to march over and ask her herself. "Edward, who is she?" Bella asked, knowing he knew exactly who she was.

Edward took a gulp of his beer and shook his head. "Remember that girl who kissed me?"

"No fucking way!" Bella gasped, looking back at the girl, who obviously had no shame.

"Way."

"She _needs_ to quit staring at you."

"What do you want me to do? Walk over there and tell her that? I'd rather just ignore her..."

Bella looked up and saw that he wouldn't need to walk towards the girl at all, she was coming to them. Frozen, she watched as Miss Bitch leaned over the table, looking right at Edward. The other girls who were standing with her, came over as well. The bottle blonde waved a hello to Tyler, obviously knowing him. "How are our favorite firemen?" blondie asked.

Bella had to give Tyler props, he looked just as frozen as Bella felt. This was a whole new level of awkwardness. "Happily married," Edward responded, sitting back and looking at the girl for the first time.

"What a shame. That kiss was definitely something..."

Bella had enough at that point, whether the girl knew Bella was his wife or not, she decided to make it absolutely clear. Sliding closer to him, she grabbed his chin and brought his lips to hers. While she started it with the intention of pulling away and saying something clever, she realized there was no way in hell she was capable of talking. Jealous Bella came out full force and she deepened the kiss, and Edward pulled her into his lap. It wasn't until she heard people clearing their throats that she realized the girl was gone and everyone was staring at them.

Immediately, Bella began to blush and pulled away from him. Sliding into her chair, she said to her husband, "I'm not feeling well. I think I want to go home..."

Edward was looking at her, obviously still a little dazed from the kiss they had just shared. He was even short on breath. "Alright. Yeah. Just let me use the restroom real quick..."

Bella had no idea why what happened next happened but she couldn't stop herself. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had slipped into the men's bathroom, pulled her husband towards her, and locked the door clumsily as his body pinned her to it. Apparently, he was just as worked up as she was. He was always gentle with her, always nurturing, always making sure it was what she wanted. This time was different.

As Bella bit down on her lip to keep from crying out, Edward kissed her neck and hitched her leg up around his waist. She felt him press his hard shaft against her core and she dug her nails into the wooden door as she was lifted off the ground completely. His muscular arms were flexing as he ran his hands up and down her sides, kissing her collarbone, chest, lips, and starting over again. Before she knew what was happening, he put her leg down long enough to grab her panties and all but rip them from her body. The minidress she wore ended up above her hips as he repositioned her leg and slammed into her. She felt weightless, being that he was completely supporting her weight. Her hair fell down below her shoulders as her nails scratched at the graffiti-ridden wood.

She knew the exact moment he came because she heard him say, "You're mine," in a harsh whisper just before he stopped his hard thrusts. He held her up by pinning her to the door again with his body. He rested his head on her shoulder, panting hard, and giving her time to regain control over her own body. Bella was eventually set down on shaking legs, glancing at the mirror she saw that her make-up was smeared, her hair was frazzled, and she was covered in a thin sheet of sweat.

Edward stood, leaning against the door while she peed, washed her hands, and fixed her make-up. "Do you still want to go home?" he asked.

"No. Not really," Bella said with a smirk.

On Monday, Bella walked into Clair's room to drop off Kaley and was surprised to see her friend wasn't there. Clair was always punctual. Always. Grabbing the room phone from the wall, Bella hit 0 to call the office. "Um, hey, it's Bella Cullen. I just stopped by Clair's room and she's not here. No one's here, actually."

As she said this last part, she looked at the apple clock hanging on the wall. It was eight ten. The students usually arrived by eight fifteen. Teachers had to be there by seven forty-five. With third grade, Bella was able to give them a little freedom, not having to be there the second they walked in, but Clair couldn't just let sixteen five year olds alone. "Let me see if she signed in this morning," Veronica responded, sounding like she was shuffling around papers. "Nope. She didn't call in either. I say just give her a few minutes. It's not like this is normal for her. Maybe she just got caught up..."

Bella hung up after saying goodbye and looked at Kaley. She couldn't very well leave her unattended. "Honey, let's go back to mommy's room. Clair isn't here yet."

Bella was just about to go upstairs when she saw kids start to come in. She couldn't just let them alone unattended either so she followed them in and turned on the lights. "Alright, boys and girls, put your things away. Miss Smith will be here soon," Bella called, taking control. She helped Kaley unpack her things and called Donna. "I need you to watch my kids. Clair didn't show up and I have a room full of preschoolers to keep an eye on."

"That's odd."

"I know, right? I should be up soon. I'm going to call the office again. I don't want to get Clair in trouble but she should have at least called in so they'd have a sub for her."

"Take your time, I can give these guys some brain teasers to work on. Call if you need me."

After calling the office and having them send down Veronica to keep an eye on the kids until an actual sub could get there, Bella went back to her own room and started the kids on a new vocabulary lesson. She pushed Clair out of her mind, figuring she was upset about having told Tyler the big news. Maybe he over reacted. Maybe she was really upset.

At lunchtime, Bella sat down at her desk to call Clair. Before she could get the number from her contacts, there was a knock on her door. She jumped, surprised, and saw someone standing outside of her door. Pushing it open, she came face to face with Matt—who looked like he wanted to cry. "What's going on?"

"It's Robert."

"Mam, you're missing the point. Your son cannot sleep outside every night even if he wants to. It's not healthy and if no one is out here with him, what would happen if he was kidnapped or if he wandered away?" Edward looked at the clueless mother, fighting the urge to say, 'be the fucking adult in this relationship', but he just waited to hear her argue with him.

As she went on and on about how her son wouldn't sleep unless he was outside, Edward found himself thinking about the Davareaux case. Lately, it was all he thought about. That weekend had gone slowly, he knew there was nothing he could do to help Robby and the state was being difficult, telling him that they had other problems that needed taken care of first—that Caleb was fine and they were sure Robby was fine as well. It pissed him off. Finally unable to listen to the woman in front of him anymore, he sighed, "You don't have a choice in this. Make him sleep inside or I will go after getting a court order to have your son placed where he won't be running the neighborhood at three in the morning."

As he drove off, he knew it was an empty threat, if they wouldn't do anything for Robby and his brother, they sure as hell weren't going to do anything for a little boy who wanted to live in the wild. He and Bella had spent the rest of the weekend with Kaley after Esme dropped her off at home Saturday morning. They worked outside, him cutting the grass and Kaley and Bella working in the small garden the two of them had started a couple of months ago. On Sunday, they had gone to church, which had turned into something normal for them since the wedding. He sat on the porch swing that Sunday, watching his Bella play hopscotch with Kaley, the two of them giggling and having a good time.

As he drove now, he wondered if Tyler had gotten the news that he was going to be a father yet. Surely, he would have called Edward. Surely, Clair would have said something to Bella. He looked at the clock in his Jeep and saw that he had forty-five minutes until he had to stop out at Josephina Thersa and Darren's. Deciding to stop at the office and eat his lunch, he pulled out his phone to make sure there were no missed calls since it was on silent while he met with his last client. Sure enough, there were two of them. One from Bella's cell and one from the school phone...both happening just a few moments ago. He called her back immediately, already turning around and heading back towards Forks Elementary.

"Edward? Hey, there was an incident that I think you should know about," Bella said, sounding out of breath and scared.

"What? Oh God, please tell me nothing happened to Kaley!"

"No. She's fine. She's at lunch with the other kids. It's Robby. I think we have your evidence."

Edward pushed the accelerator down as far as it would go, terrified of what he was going to find at the school. He thought of the tiny little boy, much too small for his age, dressed in faded hand-me-downs and his unkempt hair. Edward thought about all the time he used to put into making sure Kaley was properly cared for, the nights he'd be up until one or two am just so she'd have clean clothes since he was called away to fight a fire and hadn't gotten to the laundry that evening. He thought about fighting her to eat, even though she tried to throw it back at him because she didn't like it. There were things you did as a parent because you had no other choice. The way this little boy was so obviously neglected made him a thousand times happier that Tanya had completely walked out of Kaley's life.

He parked the Jeep and skipped the office, heading straight for the nurses room, where Bella said they would be waiting. The guy he'd seen her with in Clair's room, Mark or Max or whatever his name was, stood leaning against the wall outside. Bella poked her head out and said something to him before noticing Edward and turning to him with a look of relief. "Thank God. He's in here."

Edward braced himself as he walked through the door to the little office and followed Bella back to a little curtained area. A woman who he recognized as the school nurse was kneeling in front of Robby who just sat ram rod straight on the side of the bed. He couldn't hear what was being said but the only voice was Jill's. "What happened?" Edward whispered to his wife, who looked like she was going to be sick.

"He passed out. Clair never showed up and Matt came in to sub for her. Well, all morning, her kids were with Veronica but at lunch time, Matt took over. All of the kids were heading down to lunch when Matt noticed Robby was shaking a little while he was standing in front of his locker. Matt asked him if he was okay and I guess Robby tried to close himself into his own locker. Before Matt could get it back open, he heard a thud and realized the Robby passed out. He got him out, getting the attention of another teacher who was in the hallway so that she could take the kids. He regained consciousness quickly but then Robby started to scream and took off. He came to get me, needing help to look for the little boy. Irina found him in a janitor's closet."

"Has he eaten anything yet?" Edward demanded, going into full care-giver mode.

"Not that I know of, he didn't eat here at school."

Edward looked around, his gaze resting on a box of saltines that was on Jill's desk. "Here, I think he needs to eat. Clair usually gave him something little to eat in the mornings..."

"Dear God..." he faintly heard Bella mutter.

"Look, I can't do anything for him..." Edward said, his voice full of frustration.

"There's more," Jill said, speaking to him for the first time, all the while handing the small, shaken boy a cracker, "I already took pictures. They're on my desk."

Edward's stomach turned as Jill lifted Robby's dirty shirt, exposing blistered and broken skin. He didn't hesitate, though he was vaguely aware that Bella was having a hard time breathing beside him. Striding out of the room, he pulled his cell phone out. "Gary, I don't give a fuck what the fucking higher ups want to do about Robert Davareaux. You get me a God damn warrant to take that little boy."

From the beginning of that day, Bella just knew it was going to be a bad one. From a missing Clair to having to call in Edward, she was about ready to curl into a ball and go to sleep in the corner of her classroom. Instead, she reassured Matt and went about her day. When the time to pick up Kaley and go home came around, she dreamt about her comfy bed at home the whole walk from her classroom to Clair's. When she got into the room, she froze. Kaley was obliviously playing with a doll but Matt was tapping his foot nervously.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bella asked, coming around to the side of the desk and putting her hand on his shoulder. Kaley ran over and hugged her leg but she was more concerned for her coworker. "Matt, talk to me."

"I had to send him home." That was all the explanation that Bella needed.

"What? Why? I thought Edward said he had to go to a safe house..."

"Edward couldn't get the papers signed in time. It's all a bunch of paper work and red tape, Bella. They'll have him all night. They did...that...to him and I had to let him leave. I couldn't...I can't...save him."

"Matt, this isn't your fault. Believe me, we're all sick about what's happening here."

"How could this happen, Bella? In a country full of educated, smart people, how can a little boy like that get lost in the cracks? How?"

"I don't know, Matt. Edward's going to fix this, though. He has to...or else I'm afraid he's going to lose it."

Bella put Kaley into the car, made sure her booster seat was buckled right, and headed home. A sick feeling in her stomach made it impossible for her to eat much of their dinner—not to mention that she was alone with Kaley. Edward did come in around seven, his unruly hair sticking out everywhere, his clothes ruffled, and his phone never leaving his hand. "Matt told me you couldn't get a warrant today."

"I _will_. I have the D.A.'s office working on it. That little boy _isn't_ spending one more full night in that hell..."

Bella knew him well enough to know that he was coming apart at the seams. "I love you, baby. Kaley is stressed over what's going on just as much as we are—and she doesn't even know what's going on. Why don't you just relax with her a little bit tonight until the D.A. calls you back?"

Without saying anything, Edward picked up his daughter, who was enjoying some rainbow sherbert and had it all over her face. Bella watched as he gave a small smile and sat her down on the counter by the sink to clean off her face. "Daddy's right here, Kaley. I love you."

"Alright, what will it be? Lunch meat or peanut butter and jelly? I didn't feel like cooking tonight..."

"I'll take peanut butter and jelly..."

Bella groaned and leaned against the refrigerator. Go freaking figure. As the sirens went off, she looked at Edward. "Let the other guys handle it. You need to figure out what's going on with Robby."

She knew it nearly killed him to turn down a call and when he agreed, Bella was in shock. As the house phone rang, Edward picked up Kaley and carried her over to pick it up. She watched as her husbands face went from solemn, to surprised, to absolute panic. Taking her daughter from him, Bella asked what was wrong as soon as the phone was hung up. "There's a fire at the Davareaux's."

"Go. Go get ready. I'll throw you some sandwiches together for the ride," Bella said, setting Kaley down and heading for the counter.

Edward sat in Emmett's truck, he, Jasper and Emmett were all crammed into the cab as they made their way towards the other side of town. Trying to keep chit-chat upbeat, Emmett glanced over at Jasper. "Does Al know when she's due yet? We have somethings that you can probably have. Rose and I don't plan to have another."

"You didn't plan to have the first," laughed Jasper.

"Touche. It's different this time, though. Rose is on that Morena thing...which is awesome...she can't _forget_ to take that..."

Jasper turned to Edward and he knew what was coming. While the guys knew more about each other's wives than they should, stories from their honeymoons or other times that were particularly memorable—such as the night he and Bella had sex on the porch swing at three in the morning, trying to conceive was not something they discussed. Ever. So, he prepared himself for what Jasper was about to do, break the man code. "Alice said Bella is really starting to get frustrated."

Edward didn't know what to do. For a man, at least for himself, the idea of not being able to get his wife pregnant made him sick. This was one thing that she wanted, one thing that she needed him for, one thing that there was no way she could do without him—unless she was with another man—but she had chosen him the day she agreed to marry him. While he very well knew she was right, that he could obviously create a baby and that it could just be something with her body, he still felt like he was failing...just as he had told her he didn't feel she was failing him. So, when Jasper made the statement, he didn't know how to respond.

"We both are."

"Have you thought about Inver...Invit...whatever the hell that's called..." Jasper said, suddenly realizing that he never should have gone there in the first place.

"Invitro and no. Bella wants everything to happen naturally..." his voice trailed off as he gazed out the windshield. James and Tyler were already there with the truck, as were their partners from the other county and their two trucks. Water was being pumped into the house but what disturbed him most was the coroner van. The little boy's dark brown eyes filled Edward's head as he jumped out of the truck after Jasper, forgetting his helmet in the back and not bothering to stop and put on the fireman's uniform that was waiting for him in the firetruck.

"What the fuck is going on, James?" Edward asked, desperate for answers.

"I got called out for a house fire but when we got here I had to call in Mel. The state police are here as well. They found the wife dead, so far we only have one body..."

"There's two kids who live here as well as their father!" Edward yelled over falling debris.

"We haven't been able to get into the house yet. The guys are just now getting the flames down..." Edward took off for the house, knowing it was completely and totally stupid but unable to stop his legs, that is until he heard it. Crying. _Screaming_ and crying coming from a small shed at the other side of the house. Running over, he threw his entire body weight into the doors, busting them open. His heart stopped when he saw who was in there. A new screaming took over, this time from much deeper of a voice...Tyler was reeling from the discovery Edward had just made.

**Yeah, the girl wasn't the best cliffy last chapter lol I just had to end it somewhere and it seemed like that was a good place. I hope you're still with me. If not, like I said, I do understand. I am just thrilled with the responses and support I am getting from everyone. It really does make me type faster! As always, you review, I'll update tomorrow blah blah blah ;) LP xxoo**


	37. Chapter 37

**Warning: The warning from the previous chapter still stands. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 37**

He felt Tyler shove him out of the way as his body willed itself to move towards the house and to let Tyler take care of his pregnant girlfriend. The image of Clair Smith, bound and gagged, covered in blood and sweat, was something he knew he would never, ever be able to get out of his head. Tyler's face, contorted in grief, was another image he could have done without. She was alive, barely, but Edward saw her chest rising and falling rapidly. The girl was obviously terrified but definitely still awake, she had somehow gotten the piece of cloth down over her chin so that she could talk.

As a popping sound was heard from the house behind him, reality slammed into him and he took off for the house. He had no idea what he was looking for, what he expected to find. Robby needing help? Robby dead? Who knew, all Edward knew was that little boy was here somewhere and he was going to find him. The fire was pretty well contained, though smoke filled his lungs. Edward pushed on, refusing to let the stinging burn get to him. The house was only four rooms. A kitchen and living room on the bottom floor and a bathroom and bedroom on the top. The bottom of the house was empty and he sprinted upstairs. The heat was stronger and the smoke was thicker but he checked both small rooms with no luck—there didn't appear to be anyone around.

He started to cough and knew he had to get back downstairs. Robby wasn't there and chances were he'd die himself if he stayed upstairs. Stumbling back down, he hit the bottom and looked around. The smoke wasn't as bad and the fire had been put out. Emmett was coming through the front door, dressed in a full on fire suit. If Edward could see his friend's face behind the mask, he knew it would be a whole lot of what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-you. Edward regained his composure, having breathed in the less dense air and began following Emmett out. He was turning to take one last look of the room when he saw it. A white door, charred on it's sides from the flames, the red door handle the only thing he could focus on.

Striding over, he grabbed the knob but it wouldn't turn. The door, unlike most household doors, was locked from the outside with a key—it wasn't so the person in the room could keep people out, it was to keep the person in the room. There wasn't a fraction of a doubt in his mind that Robby was on the other side of that door. Emmett was yelling something to him as he frantically tried to throw his body against the door, willing it to give. His friend must have given up on fighting him because he came over and as the two of them reared back and threw everything they had into it, they ended up tumbling down a flight of stairs.

An unfinished basement was where they landed but that hell was where a small boy was found alive. Later, Edward would thank God for the fact that the room didn't have insulation, wooden walls, or anything that would have gone up like the rooms upstairs. It was a large, open, cement room and cowering in the corner, crouched on a soiled twin mattress was Robert Joseph Davareaux.

Bella grasped the house phone in her hands as she paced in front of the television. Edward and the boys had only been gone for an hour but this felt wrong to her. This wasn't a typical call. This wasn't just another fire like all the other ones over the years. Since Annie's passing, there were no more update calls to keep the wives posted and more than any other night, Bella felt Annie's absence. She was an emotional wreck, fighting tears, tired, and scared for her husband. He was close to this case, closer than she'd ever seen him get to a client and that's what worried her. He'd dealt with plenty of kids: kids with abusive fathers, abusive mothers...you name it, he'd seen it. This wasn't knew to him and he always tried to not get too attached. There was only one time, it was a little girl who was only two months old. He had called Bella from work that day, a few months after he started working for CPS, and told her to take his credit card and go buy new born diapers, a couple bottles and formula.

When she got home, her husband was holding a starving baby in his arms and trying to remember where at his parent's he had stored Kaley's crib. They had been trying to get pregnant and so the crib had remained in the basement well after the baby was picked up—two days later—by her biological grandparents. That was the only time Edward really brought his work home with him. He didn't want Kaley to hear about the things he saw. This was different, though, and it scared the hell out of her.

When the phone rang she jumped in surprise and as it fell to the ground so did her heart. Annie was no longer at the other end of the line, standing on the side lines having time to call. Since Annie left them, the wives dreaded a ringing phone. The only refuge was the exact opposite of a phone call, it was seeing their loved one walking safely through the door. She fought the urge to vomit as she looked down at the phone, still lying on the floor, and saw Carlisle's number pop up.

She hadn't caught it before it hit the floor so she slid down to it's level to answer. "Carlisle?" it came out as a quiet whisper.

"Bella, would you be able to come down to the hospital? I know Kaley's in bed..."

Bella hung up on him, instinct taking over. She grabbed her keys from the kitchen table and only slightly hesitated on grabbing Kaley out of her little bed. It was warm enough that they didn't need coats but she clumsily got her daughter's shoes on her and slid on her own flip flops. She was aware of the ringing house phone but couldn't bring herself to answer it. Standing there talking on the phone wasn't going to get her to her husband any sooner. By the time she had Kaley strapped into the booster seat, her phone was vibrating like crazy in her purse. She ignored it.

Pulling out she saw a car come up behind hers. When she pulled into the fairly empty hospital parking lot, Bella noticed that the car was still behind her but turned to go towards the area where the doctors could park. As she carried a sleeping Kaley towards the emergency room, her self-loathing began to set in. For the past few months she had prayed day and night for new life, not thinking to take a chance to pray for keeping the life she had. For the first time since she was a little girl, dreaming of one day getting to have a little baby to take care of, she was completely at terms with not having that opportunity. If she never became a mother biologically, she didn't care, all she wanted was her husband to be safe and okay.

She shifted Kaley uncomfortably, her muscles straining as she held her daughter who was no longer a tiny two year old. Leaning against the nurses station with her, she took a deep breath to calm herself as the nurse asked if she could help her. "My name is Isabella Cullen. I'm here to see my husband, Edward. He is a firefighter with Station 88..."

"Mam, there's no one here listed under that name..."

"Bella!" Spinning around, she saw Esme striding towards her, coming in from an entrance that said 'staff only'. This had to be bad. This had to be really, really bad. If they called Carlisle in that had to mean something was wrong with his son. Why else would he be there and why the hell would his mother be following her the whole way to the hospital? Bella shook her head, surprised she hadn't recognized Esme's BMW as the vehicle that was behind hers.

Esme approached, dressed in a pair of jeans, a black polo, and little heeled sandals. Bella couldn't believe Esme had taken time to dress so nicely, Bella herself was wearing a pair of flannel shorts and an old t-shirt of Edward's. "It's not him, honey. Carlisle was trying to tell you..."

"What do you mean? He's okay?" Bella asked, leaning her full weight on the nurse's station now. Esme opened her mouth to explain but Bella didn't hear a word of it. Tyler was running through the waiting room, full on sprinting. Jasper, James, and the two new recruits walked in and sat down.

Cutting off whatever explanation Esme was giving, she said quickly. "Start over. What the hell is going on?"

Esme sighed and directed her to a seat. Jasper came over then, seeing them for the first time. Esme explained the parts that she knew and Jazz filled in the blanks. She was told of them finding Clair, of Edward being 'an idiot' as Jasper added and going into the house to find Robby. The police were investigating what went down as they spoke but apparently Thomas Davareaux had a hole in his head, as did his wife, and Caleb's body was found underneath a mattress in the upstairs bedroom. Robby was the only one who survived, he was untouched from the fire and bullet free. Edward was okay as well, Esme reassured her. He, Carlisle, and Emmett were up in pediatrics with the smallest Davareaux boy and Edward was anything but fine emotionally.

"Can I go up there?" Bella asked, standing up, not really caring either way—that's where she was headed.

"Yeah. Let me take sleeping beauty. I'll get her to school tomorrow. You go tend to my son."

Bella went up with Jasper and when they came to the pediatrics unit it was hard for her to even walk down the hallway. The halls were vibrant and decorated with pictures drawn by the kids, posters of cartoon characters, and there were toys in every room. It tried to come off as a happy place but with the lights dimmed for the sleeping kids, shadows cast a creepy darkness over everything.

Carlisle was dressed in his white doctors coat, talking to a nurse behind a desk. Emmett hugged her as he was making his way down the hallway. "How's Clair?" he asked sullenly.

"I don't know anything yet. We just got here. Tyler's a fucking wreck..." Jasper replied.

"Bells, Robby's room is right there," Emmett said, pointing two rooms away.

Leaving the boys to talk, Bella crept to the door and saw Edward facing away from her, staring down at the tiny little boy. He was so much smaller than Kaley was and Bella knew it was because he wasn't fed properly. Robby was laying there, wide awake but as if in a daze. He stared at her husband's face, a look of apprehension on his own. His little hand was about six inches from Edward's, which was laying on the bed beside Robby. Bella watched them, remembering how afraid Edward and Matt had both told her he was of men. Every so often, Robby would move his little fingers closer to Edward and Edward would move his slightly closer as well. It was like they were getting to know each other without talking, the little boy trying to decide if he could trust this strange man when he had no reason to trust anyone.

Bella stepped quietly back from the door, back into the hallway, and slid down the wall to the floor. She was exhausted, a realization that hit after she saw that her husband was okay. She still hated herself for taking Edward for granted over this past year, forgetting that his life was just as important as the life of an unborn child. A child of her own she could live without. Living without Edward was impossible.

Edward watched the little boy hesitantly watching him. They were both pretty dirty, both had unruly hair that was sticking out in all directions, both were exhausted, and both were wanting to get the hell away from the hospital. Despite the little boy's scars from 'accidents' when he was little, there was no record of him ever being admitted to Forks Hospital or any other hospital for that matter—Carlisle had been sure of it.

After Edward found the little guy shaking with fear down in the basement, he went to pick him up, as if instinct took over his entire body. He should have known better, though. He was more than aware of the fact that the little boy disliked men. In fact, when he went to get Robby so he could carry him out of the house, the boy let out a scream and darted for the stairs, nearly tripping Emmett. Emmett, worried about the smoke filled upstairs, grabbed the little boy around the waist. Robby kicked and screamed the entire trip to the hospital, even throwing a fit when Carlisle tried to touch him. When Edward finally came into the room, the little boy was standing instead of on the bed where Carlisle wanted him and when Robby looked at Edward, he took a step closer on shaking legs.

They'd given him a sedative but the boy refused to sleep, so he just laid awake, staring at Edward in apprehension. Guilt had ripped a hole the size of Texas in Edward's gut as he thought about the basement the little guy was obviously living in. There was a bare lightbulb for light, a very dirty mattress on the floor, his clothes were folded neatly in wire crates, as was the blanket at the end of the 'bed'. There were no toys, nothing colorful, just a red bucket in a corner. Edward couldn't bring himself to think of what it was used for. _Good fucking riddance, Thomas Davareaux. May you rot in hell, you piece of shit._

He fought to control his anger but stayed calm for fear that Robby would become scared. He wanted to go home, home to his Bella, and then he realized that he needed to call her. He felt like a piece of shit as well, his poor wife was probably panicking by now. Pulling his phone, he dialed home and listened to it ring. With a cracked voice, Robby surprised him by speaking for the first time. "Are you telling them to come get me?" The perfect grammar and absolute fear made Edward's heart clench.

"No," he said firmly, "they can't hurt you anymore."

Edward watched as the little boy looked away, looking at the drawn curtain, as if he could see the other side. He hung up when she didn't answer and dialed again, this time her cell. "I'm calling my wife," he said, trying to make small talk with the boy, "she's very nice. Her name is Bella."

"Is she pretty?" the little boy asked quietly.

Edward felt his eyes getting wetter. "She's very, very pretty. Do you remember Mrs. Cullen? She brings Kaley to school in the morning?" When the little boy nodded, he continued, "Well, that's her. She's Kaley's mommy."

"Kaley has good food at lunch time. I'm sorry I eat it. I always ask her..." he said, trying to make his body as small as possible by pulling his arms in and bringing his legs up.

"Buddy, it's okay. Why didn't you tell someone you didn't have food?"

"It's free at school."

"So why don't you eat?"

"I only get one...I'm sorry. Miss Smith is nice though. She gives me food, too."

"What do you eat at home?" Edward asked gently, grateful to have the little boy talking.

Robby became quiet and Edward knew his answer. Just then, Bella came in, carrying her cell phone in hand and giving them a small smile. The little boy jumped when he saw her but then became stock still. "Hi, Robby," Bella whispered to him, resting her hand on Edward's shoulder before kissing Edward on the cheek.

"She _is_ pretty."

Edward laughed at the little boy's remark, standing up to hug Bella, Edward agreed. "She's_ very_ pretty."

"Kaley says she loves you and her daddy a lot."

"Buddy, I am Kaley's daddy," Edward said with a smile.

"Daddy's aren't good sometimes..." Robby said quietly, a defeated look on his face as his sad eyes wondered back to the covered window.

Bella frowned and walked over to pull the curtains back and open the window. "Not all of them are bad. Kaley's daddy is a very, very good one," Bella assured him. "Do you like the stars?"

"I like windows. I never get to have a window..."

Carlisle came in then and Robby scooted as far on the other side of the bed as he could get before the bars got in the way. "Robby, buddy, I need to check you over..."

Edward watched as the Robby's chest rose and fell rapidly to the point that he worried Robby was going to have a heart attack. "Dad, can I talk to you in the hallway a minute?"

"He's your dad?" Robby asked, obviously surprised.

"Yeah, buddy..." Edward let Bella answer his question as he followed Carlisle out.

"Let me take him home. Get him cleaned up. Feed him..."

"Edward, come on. That boy needs to be with a psychiatric unit for a little while. He's been through intense abuse and trauma..."

"So it makes sense to you to keep him locked up, tied down, and sedated? If I wanted to do that, dad, I would have fucking left him in that God damned basement!" Carlisle was taken aback, as was Edward—he never spoke to the only man he'd ever known as his father in that way. "I'm sorry..."

"I just think it's what's best."

"I disagree," Edward said, looking down at the floor.

Bella watched Robby playing with his blanket and sucking his thumb. The boy was a little old to be doing that but it seemed to calm him and that's all Bella wanted for him—a reprieve from the depravity he'd experienced throughout his young life. "Baby, can I talk to you a minute?" Edward called from the doorway. She stood and walked over after giving Robby small smile.

"Are you ready to go home?" Bella asked, yawning.

"Um...soon. I've talked Carlisle into letting us take Robby home for the night..."

"Edward, no," Bella said firmly, shaking her head. "You are way to attached to this case. He needs to be with people who know how to handle him..."

"He's not dangerous, Bells, he's scared..."

"When it comes to a situation like this is there really a difference? What if he freaks and tries to hurt himself? Are you willing to take that risk?"

"Yes. I am. I'm not giving up on that little boy. I won't do it. I'm not turning my back on him until he's in a good home with people who give a shit about him."

"So you want to bring him home? For how long?"

"Just until I can find another foster family..."

"He's five years old. You said it yourself. People want babies, not grown kids." Bella fought to keep the resolve in her voice but found herself trying to take her own advice. She was falling in love with Robby every second she was near him.

"We can keep him for a little while..."

"Edward, do you hear yourself? He's not a puppy! You don't just ask if you can keep him!" _But maybe we could..._

"Would it be different if Robby was a baby?"

Bella didn't know how to counter that one, she thought for a minute, letting him sweat it out before finally answering honestly. "No. It wouldn't be. I don't want to adopt or foster or whatever you consider it."

"You adopted Kaley."

"She's _yours_," Bella said after a loud sigh.

"He's _no one's_," Edward countered with conviction and without missing a beat as he pointed toward the little boy's room.

"Fine. One night. He can stay with us tonight and we'll see how it goes." Bella worried Edward was too attached to this amazing little boy already. How could they care for him? How could they give him what he needed?

"Thank you."

"Edward, I'm only so against this because you are so emotional about the whole thing. You can't save them all, Edward. You just can't," Bella said quietly, cupping his cheek with her hand.

"I didn't. His brother is dead and now Robby's an orphan."

"Better an orphan than dead, Edward. That's exactly where he might be were it not for you."

"Where's Kaley?" Edward asked after a minute of them just staring at each other.

"Safe and sound with your mom. Now, come on, we're all exhausted...and I have a feeling it's going to be an even longer night. Let's get him home."

**Wow, can you say roller coaster ride? What do you think will happen? I really need your opinion about Robby on this one. Either way, sorry for the cliffy last chapter, I hope you don't all hate me too much. This chapter and the next ends without one—I'm trying to behave myself ;) Keep up the awesome reviewing you've all been doing—over 650! I love you all deeply and do this for you! LP xxoo**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 38**

They got home from the hospital, using Kaley's booster seat for Robby. When they pulled up in front of the house, Bella looked back at the little boy who was all smiles when he saw the swing set. "Do you like to swing?" Bella asked him.

"Yes," he answered with conviction, as if he was vowing it.

"Tomorrow we can swing."

Robby's face lit up and Bella wondered what other little wonders could make this sad child so happy. She worried about where he would sleep, it was so late that she really just wanted to get him tucked into bed, he needed rest and she didn't have the energy to bath him. Grabbing a washcloth from the bathroom, Bella cleaned his little hands and feet with it after wiping his face. She gave him a t-shirt Kaley had gotten at a local baseball game, a pair of plain white underwear—also of Kaley's, and a pair of Kaley's gray pajama pants.

While Bella dressed him in the dark, being that he was half asleep and really didn't want to wake him with the light, Edward got to work on the pullout couch. He put clean sheets on it and grabbed a couple pillows from the linen closet. Robby still wouldn't let them really touch him, anytime there was contact with his skin he would push himself away from whoever had done it. Patting the bed, Edward motioned for him to climb in and as he pulled the blankets up over the little boy, Bella headed back to their bedroom.

A short time later, she felt Edward wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close as she brushed her teeth. She let him kiss her neck before leaning forward to spit out her toothpaste. Tears were already coming and she braced for it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought him..." Edward began.

"No. No. I thought it was you. When they called. I thought something terrible happened..."

"I'm right here. See? Not a scratch on me."

Bella shook her head and walked out of the room, climbing onto their large king bed, she scooted under the covers before saying, "You broke a promise."

"What promise, baby?" he asked, looking concerned.

"You promised me you wouldn't try to play hero, that you wouldn't do anything stupid..."

"What are you..."

"Jazz told me you went into that house without even bothering to put on a suit. Edward, I won't sit back and pretend it's okay. If something happens to you..."

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Well, you just think about Kaley growing up without her father the next time you pull a stunt like that. You don't stop and think about your own health. Ever. You're not Superman, Edward."

"I'm sorry, love. I was just worried about Robby...shit!" Bella turned towards him quickly and he continued, "We never stopped by to check on Clair..."

"How bad was it?"

"Bad. If it wasn't for me hearing her scream, I would have thought she was dead."

"Come here. Talk. Tell me what happened..." Bella saw that wild look in his eyes, the one that mirrored the scared look Robby gave her. Laying there together, with a little lost boy on their pull out couch, Bella and Edward talked until well after three o'clock in the morning.

"Alright, here's the plan. Robby's still sleeping and I'm going to get him up soon. I'll bath him and go get him some clothes then we'll take him to the hospital. He still needs checked out and we need to stop and see Clair," Edward said as Bella was calling the school to tell them she was sick and wouldn't be making it in. She left out what Edward had told her about Clair, everyone would know soon enough.

"You bath him, I'll run and get him clothes. Your mom said she was going to take Kaley to school so I'm free until it's time to pick her up. Actually, why don't I make us all some bacon and eggs before we get started?"

As she cooked, they quietly reveled in the stillness of the house—that is until Robby began whimpering. Instinctively, Bella went to him and rubbed his cheek, "Buddy, wake up. Would you like some breakfast?" The boy looked at her, panic clear on his face until he looked around and saw that he was still in the same place he had gone to sleep the night before.

He nodded eagerly and Bella helped him over to the kitchen table. He still hesitated with Edward but he wasn't shaking, which was an improvement. While Kaley was a picky eater, usually refusing to eat her own food but take bites of Bella and Edward's, Robby's face lit up as Bella brought the food over to the table. Edward was looking at the newspaper but he set it down when Bella started putting food onto Robby's plate. He watched as the little boy looked at her but didn't pick up his fork.

"Honey, eat. It's yours," Bella reassured him. She didn't have to tell him twice. He grabbed the little fork and dug into the scrambled eggs. Edward watched cautiously, he didn't know how much the boy was starved but he did know that Robby could get really sick if he had too much. The eggs were gone and he started on the bacon, he tried to stab it with his fork instead of picking it up, letting Edward know he'd never eaten bacon before.

To show him how it was done, Edward called his name and picked up a piece off of his own plate. He bit into it before setting the rest back down. Robby followed the example, gulping down three pieces of bacon. When there was no food left, he eyed up the glass of orange juice Bella poured for him. He grabbed the glass, gulping down the entire thing. He burped a little then his eyes fell on the plate that Bella had brought over, still containing more breakfast food. She moved to add more but Edward reached out and caught her hand. The portion that had been given to him was the same portion Edward had and there was no way Kaley could have eaten that much. As Robby rubbed his stomach, it was as he'd suspected, Robby was sick.

"Buddy, when's the last time you ate?"

"At school," he said quietly, not making eye contact.

"Before school. What did you eat over the weekend?"

Robby shook his head like he didn't understand the question. That alone was answer enough. Looking at this broken little boy, Edward wondered what he should say. He had to break the news that his parents were dead...as well as his older brother. It didn't seem right, not here in him and Bella's happy home over what was probably the most nutritious breakfast the little boy had in years. He didn't know what was going to happen to the little one, though, and didn't want someone he didn't even know to tell him. "Robby, we have something to talk to you about. It's about your parents."

Robby eyes widened as he pushed the plate away, as if not wanting the evidence in front of him. "Sweetie, they can't hurt you anymore," Bella said calmly, getting eye level with him.

"Do you remember the fire last night?" Robby shook his head no. "Well, there was a fire at your house and they passed away, buddy. They can't hurt you. Ever." Edward watched, not knowing what to expect, but the little boy relaxed back in his chair. It was almost like he was taking a rest after a long trip.

Bella drove to the store to get him a few things. When she got there, she just couldn't resist. After lining the bottom of the cart with clothes, she found a cute dinosaur sheet set as well as a dinosaur night light. She debated on whether or not to buy them. Then muttered some expletives and threw the offending items into the cart. She wasn't ready for this and began to get upset with Edward, which she knew wasn't fair.

When she met Kaley, it was like the Earth moved. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she loved the little girl instantly. Then she met Robby. Everything about this situation was different. He was abused, broken, disturbed, sweet, scared, and a wonderful little boy all at the same time. She didn't want this she told herself. She wanted a child of her own, a child that wouldn't turn their lives upside down. The problem? She was completely lying to herself, rather badly, and she knew it. The only thing different about this situation was that Robby needed her more than Kaley ever did.

Making her way to the toy section she found Tonka trucks and Lego blocks and tossed them into the cart as well. Her next stop was the shoe section and she grabbed four different pairs. If...when..they sent him to live with another family, at least she'd know he had enough clothes and things to start out with. She was just walking past the baby section, with the intention of picking up some more baby shampoo when she clumsily bumped her cart into a stroller display. As the pink stroller tipped over, she grabbed it and immediately became sick to the stomach.

The baby section was a very, very bad idea. Pushing the stroller back into place quickly, as if it could burn her, she found the shampoo and got the hell out of there. She pulled up in front of the house, heading in to get Edward to come help her carry all the bags in when she heard crying. Running up the stairs, she found Robby in the corner of the bathroom with Edward looking at him from the doorway. "What's going on?" Bella asked.

"I was just trying to get him to take a bath. He's terrified of me..."

Bella listened to her husband's broken tone, he was obviously not taking this very well. "Edward, he's just scared, he's not necessarily scared of _you_." Walking into the bathroom, Bella knelt in front of Robby. "Honey, Edward just wants to help you take a bath. Do you like taking baths?"

"No." The tremor in his voice made Bella want to vomit.

"Alright. What if you let me get your bath water ready and give you towels. We'll shut the door and you can do it yourself. How does that sound?"

Edward watched as Robby sat down on the floor. Bella turned on the water, making sure it was the right temperature before pulling towels and washcloths out of the closet by the tub. "I'll be right back," she said, though Edward wasn't sure who exactly she was talking to. She returned a moment later with a new outfit for Robby and baby shampoo.

"Here you go, buddy. We'll be in the next room. Just yell when you are done or if you need help. You can lock the door if you want to."

Before he could say anything, Bella pushed Edward back out into the hall and closed the door. Before she could say anything, Edward shook his head, "We can't do this."

"What do you mean?" she asked in suprise.

"My dad was right, Bella. We can't give him what he needs."

He watched as tears came to her eyes, surprised that this wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I thought you said he doesn't have anybody else."

"He doesn't, Bells. I'm not saying that we're going to throw him into the streets..."

"No, we're going to throw him into the system. The same damn system that turned it's back on him in the first place."

"Look, we're going in circles here. We can't let our emotions over wanting another child influence this decision, which is exactly what I think is happening. He needs to be with professionals who handle kids like him. I'm not trained for the after, I'm trained to get them away from the families. I don't know how to put him back together and I can't trust him with Kaley. I'm sorry that I thought this was a good idea. Last night, it was a good idea, but when we go to the hospital we really need to turn him over to someone who can help..."

"I'm scared for him. He's so tiny, Edward. Do you see how small he is?" Edward saw that she was shaking and tears were coming freely now. This is the woman he fell in love with, this compassionate, loving, motherly woman, and it broke his heart that he was unable to give her what she wanted...a child of her own. It shattered him as he stood there acting like he was strong. He had to keep up the facade for both of them.

"I know a few people who are on the waiting list to become foster parents. I'll pull every string I can but seriously, Bells, we are not prepared for this. Besides, what if you _are_ pregnant? Right now. You know, it's possible..."

Bella snorted in a not-so-humorous-laugh sort of way, in a way that took the shattered heart he had and scattered the pieces even smaller. "I'm not, Edward. The sooner we realize this, the better off we'll both be."

He wanted to run, he wanted to walk away from her, take a break from the ridiculous last couple of days they'd been through. That was the thing, though, they had been through it together. He couldn't walk out on her, not now. Pulling her towards him, he held her for what had to have been ten whole minutes. The two of them just stood there, neither of them saying a word...until, "I know you're right."

That was all that needed said on the topic of handing Robby over, something that was going to kill him to do, but needed done regardless. He thought about Kaley and with Robby's unpredictable fears, it wasn't fair to her to be constantly exposed to that. If it had just been him and Bella, if they weren't trying so hard to have another child, he would have considered fostering Robby himself but it was too much right now. Stress was a big contributor of not getting pregnant and he couldn't expect Bella to handle all of this on her own while he worked all summer.

They heard the door jiggle and stood back expectantly. Robby seemed genuinely happy for the first time since Edward had met him. "I'm ready," Robby said, after taking a deep breath. Edward looked down at the little boy, absolutely in awe that no matter what he went through, the boy could keep a straight face. Edward didn't know what he was ready for, whether it was just being clean or simply surviving, either way the four year old was braver than him.

When they got to the hospital, Robby clung to Bella, scared of the big, white building. He loosened up when they found Carlisle, though he was still hesitant. Edward had called his father before they left. It was going to be a long day meeting with police, going back to take pictures of the house...seeing Clair. That one Bella was bracing herself for as well. They learned quite quickly that they were right to be afraid, the situation was worse than they'd expected. While Carlisle pulled some strings and got Robby in with a female doctor, Bella and Edward headed down to Clair's room on the lower level.

It had been ridiculously hard leaving him and the way he looked at Edward made Carlisle suggest they leave before either of them got to attached to the other. So, Bella followed Edward with tears in her eyes, as her heart was found Tyler outside Clair's room, still in clothes from the night before, with his head in his hands.

Now, Bella watched as Edward slid down to sit beside his close friend, and for the first time Bella watched Tyler Crowley cry. "I'm going to be a father, man. Clair's having a baby..."

"Congratulations, Ty," Edward said, patting his friends arm.

Bella knew something else was wrong, the expression on Tyler's face wasn't a good one. When Tyler shook his head, her fears were confirmed. "I cheated on her. Friday night..."

"Shit, Ty..." Bella heard Edward mutter before putting his head back to look at the ceiling. Bella wondered what would come out of Edward's mouth. Judging from his past with unfaithfulness, she imagined it couldn't be good. "Who was it?"

"Remember the girl from the bar? Her name is Holly. She's the twin sister of the girl that came onto you. _Her_ name's Heidi."

"I don't really care what the fuck their names are, Ty. It could be Laverne and Shirley for all I fucking care! Why did you do it? How could you do it? Clair's been freaking out all damn week, scared you would be mad about the baby and here you are..."

"You knew? Wait. How?" Tyler asked, looking distraught.

"She told Bella and Bella told me..."

"How fucking long have you known? Why the fuck didn't you tell me? I thought she was avoiding me, wanting to break up. I thought that's why she was missing! Because she _wanted_ to be! Not because she was fucking kidnapped!" Bella bit her lip, pissed off that he was placing the blame on Edward, and knowing her husband was king at guilt tripping himself.

"Tyler, this isn't Edward's fault..."

"You fucking knew too!" he practically yelled at her.

"Don't talk to her like that," Edward said, standing up and looking down at him. "You say whatever the fuck you want to me. You will_ not _speak to her that way."

"Ty," Bella said quietly, kneeling down in front of him. She felt Edward try to pull her back by grabbing her shoulder but she shrugged him off. "Ty, look at me."

He had his head down on his knees, obviously feeling guilty. "She doesn't want me. She wants to break up, Bella. I don't want to break up with her. I_ love_ her."

"Then why did you do it? Those girls didn't want anything long term, they just wanted fun and that's what they got but why? If you loved her so much, how could you?"

"I thought she was leaving me. So while she was locked in a fucking shed while that asshole did...horrible...things to her, I was balls deep in some whore. Alright? There I fucking said it. She deserves better than me. She deserves some rich guy who can give her a huge house and a fancy car...and who can take care of her child..."

"Tyler, when's the last time you slept? Why don't you try to get some rest?" Bella said gently.

"Bella, I don't need rest. I need _her_."

"Then why are you out here instead of in there?" Edward asked, sounding slightly annoyed. Bella knew the cheating thing was really getting under his skin.

"Her dad won't let me."

"For God's sake..." Edward huffed.

"Alright, Edward, can you please go in and see Clair? You aren't helping things," Bella scolded.

He shook his head and left before Bella turned back to Tyler. "Look, she needs time to calm down and why the hell did you even tell her here? At the damn hospital?"

"I was mad at her. I know I'm a dick but I was. She hid this from me when if she had just been honest, I could have protected her! Anyway, I just kind of blurted it out..."

"You said it because you _wanted_ to hurt her?" Bella asked, a confused and pissed off expression on her face.

"I told you I was a dick, alright?"

"Oh, Ty," Bella said, putting her head in her hands. "Alright, let's go."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I'm calling someone to take you home. I'll make sure she calls you when she gets out so you two can set up a time to talk."

Edward walked in and saw Clair on the hospital bed. She wasn't hooked up to many machines but she was covered in bruises. "Hey, Clair," Edward said gently after waving a greeting to James's brother and sister in law.

"Hi, Edward," she said, quietly. Her parents decided to walk out, figuring she wanted some privacy.

"So, I told him..."

"I know."

"He responded with 'I fucked someone on Friday'." The way Clair said it would have made Edward laugh had it been under different circumstances.

"Well, then, it's probably a good thing your dad kicked him out," Edward said matter-of-factly.

"No. It's not. We needed to talk..._need_ to talk. I just don't know how to handle this. I don't know why I still love him..."

"We can't help who we love," he responded quietly, thinking of Robby.

"Some people are perfect for each other, though. Look at you. Bella is perfect for you. You two like _never_ fight."

"That is definitely _not_ true. We _do_ fight. Everyone fights. If we didn't fight that would mean we didn't care about each other. There wouldn't be passion."

"Well, Ty and I are the most passionate couple I know."

"Alright, I'm going to be honest with you. I hate cheaters. Not only is it my worst nightmare that it will happen to me again—even though I do trust Bella, what happened before... it plants doubt in any relationship. Unfortunately, I have a shit ton of experience being the one on the other side, in the same position as you. There's a difference though. A big one. When Tanya did it, she did it because she could, because it was fun. When Tyler did it, this is just going from observations I've made, but he seems to genuinely hate himself for it. I don't know that it's definitely the case and quite honestly I'd love to beat the shit out of him for you but if you love him and want to try to make things work he might surprise you."

Bella walked in then and he watched her go over to her friend. "God, I can't believe this. I'm sorry I didn't look into everything. The first day you didn't show up I should have..."

"Stop. You have enough to worry about, Bells. Thank you for helping out with the kids. Matt stopped by a little bit ago to check on me and filled me in. So, Robby's staying with you guys, huh? I tried so hard to get to him when I heard the gunshots..."

"Clair, what the hell _did_ happen? I mean, did you see any of it go down?" Edward asked, coming over to sit on the bed beside her.

"No...wait...the police didn't talk to you yet?"

"No. We wanted to get Robby somewhere he could rest. I'm supposed to be meeting with the chief of police in about a half hour or so. Why? What happened?"

"Edward, Thomas deserved to die but...Caleb..."

"I know he didn't make it. I wish I could have gotten there sooner..."

"He did it, Edward. He killed both of his parents and tried to burn the house down."

"Why did he go back inside? They found his body upstairs..."

"Apparently, they think he went in to get Robby but he underestimated the fire he started. He thought he could get him out in time. When he went back in the house, I guess he panicked and ran for his room. The police think he was trying to keep the smoke away by climbing under the mattress on his bed. Before he went in though, I guess that's when I heard daddy dearest and his wife run outside, yelling about the fire and Thomas called 911. Then I heard the gun shots—_after_ the sirens went off and Caleb went back into the house. You guys found me soon after it all started..."

Bella watched in horror as Edward's face distorted and he bit out painfully, "That means...Oh God...no..."

"What?" Clair asked, a worried, sympathetic look on her face. Bella was pretty sure her face was mirroring Clair's.

"He was still alive. He was still alive when I got there. Oh my, God..."

"You were trying to get Robby out of the basement," Bella protested exactly what she knew he was blaming himself for.

"No, Bella, I ran _upstairs_. I was _in_ that room. The _same_ damn room they found him in...he was probably still alive then. I could have fucking saved him..."

**Wow, I couldn't believe all the responses I got about Robby—and they were definitely mixed responses lol I'm going to do my best to make you all happy so have faith in what's happening with Robby right now. The next chapter will involve a verbal bitch slapping from Rose—to Edward, a peek at drunken Edward, and Bella—well you'll have to see :) Anyway, I should be updating tomorrow so leave me a nice review today! I know this chapter didn't give many answers to the questions I'm sure you're all dying to know but things will eventually come together. Love, LP xxoo**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 39**

Bella watched for the first time as her husband completely fell apart. At first, it started out that he was just angry. Angry at the situation and more than angry with himself. When Bella tried to talk to him, calm him down, he became angry with _her_. By five o'clock that evening, he was angry with Carlisle, Esme, the police, James, his boss, and anyone else that tried to show him some sympathy. So, Bella had it. She was done trying to calm him down while he just sat there in self-pity. She'd never really seen him like this, she knew he had self-esteem issues from Tanya, but this was self-loathing at it's finest.

She was sitting on the couch that night, going over lesson plans, but her mind wouldn't stop drifting to Robby. It didn't feel right leaving the hospital without him but she'd been so worried about Edward, she really didn't have a choice. Her heart ached as she thought of the bed set and other items she'd bought for him—all of which were still in the back of her Volvo. Even the swings on the front lawn reminded her of him and how she'd broken her word that he could swing on them.

With Edward alone in their bedroom, doing God only knew what, she never felt more lonely. Slipping on her thick soled slippers she headed out to get the mail, praying that by some miraculous chance there would be a letter from Jake. There wasn't. Trudging back into the house, she plopped back down on the couch in defeat. She missed her best friend to the point that it was beginning to scare her. Grabbing her cell phone, she called Billy.

"Hey, it's Bella. I'm just calling because I'm worried. Jake hasn't been contacting me..."

"They moved him to a new base and I think he's been traveling. It's possible the mail got misplaced or something."

"Oh. Okay," Bella said, relief flooding her but a feeling of neglect taking over. Why hadn't he told her that?

"He gets so many minutes to call home. I'll have him call you next time he calls me. I'm sure he's alright, kiddo."

"Yeah. Thanks, Billy. Have a good night."

Bella hung up and put the lesson plans down. She thought about her husband, back in the room, grieving on his own but she couldn't bring herself to go back there. She needed someone to talk to but he definitely wasn't it. She couldn't do that to him right now, couldn't have him watch her fall apart, and she didn't even know why she needed to do so. Her emotions were everywhere. She was scared for Robby, worried that Edward wouldn't pull himself together enough for Kaley, worried he wouldn't be able to pull himself together enough for _anything_, worried about Clair, sad and angry at the same time for Tyler, and all the while worried about Jake.

After staring at her phone for a little while, she did what she never thought she would do. She did it for Edward because she was in no position to play the part of the strong one. The phone rang and rang until it finally picked up right before the voice mail was about to come on. "I need your help."

Edward was laying on the bed, facing the photos of his wife and daughter, all the while trying to figure out how the hell he was going to deal with the nightmares he was sure would come. He still experienced the ones from before they were even married, only now he could hide it better. When Bella would go to bed at night, he'd hold her close, as if she were a lifeline for him. She thought he was just being sweet, loving, but in reality he was terrified of the nightmares and needed something real to hold onto. He also never wanted her to sleep alone, he hated thinking about her as that vulnerable without him around. It didn't help that she was always sleeping in their bed when he found her dead every damn night sleep would come for him.

He missed the way he and Bella were before. It wasn't about sex. Their sex life was amazing, even if it sometimes seemed like work. Just the idea of being inside Bella made him hard. No, now there was pressure from every direction. Bella wanting a baby, work eating up more and more of his time, his wife constantly worried about another man—something he knew he shouldn't be upset about but from his past just couldn't help it, and then there was what had gone down the night before. Robby was without family in a hospital where he was terrified. Had he taken the time to look around, taken the time to suit up first, he could have taken the time upstairs and found Caleb. Robby's brother was dead and it was his fault. Everyone could try to tell him differently but it didn't matter. This was his fuck up. Bella was right, as always, he had broken a promise to her in the process.

Someone knocking on the door to the room snapped him back to reality. "Bella, it's fine. Just come in..."

"It's not Bella so if you're naked I suggest you get decent. I'm counting to ten and coming in," Rosalie called through the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Edward asked, surprise in his voice, as he sat already fully clothed in amusement.

"I'm the tooth fairy coming to check for lost teeth," she said sarcastically. "I'm coming in, Cullen."

With that the door opened and he saw she was alone. "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"We're going out. Me and you. Is that what you're wearing?" Rosalie asked, pointing to him.

"Yeah..."

"Then get your ass out of bed and let's go."

"I don't feel like..."

"Did I ask? No. Get up. Bella doesn't need to see you all mopey, dear friend. So, I'm getting you out of her hair for a few hours. Come on." Pulling himself off the bed, he reluctantly got up and grabbed his wallet.

After kissing Bella goodbye, Edward followed Rosalie out and got into her car. "Why can't I drive?"

"Because you're drinking."

"I'd really prefer to drive."

"Would you shut up? Emmett has Liliana and I will spend my night out however I want to."

They pulled up to a local bar and headed in, sitting at one of the gang's usual tables. "So, did she really get tired of me?" Edward asked, referring to Bella.

"Honestly," Rosalie said, dropping her tough girl act now that she had him where she wanted him, "yeah. I think she did."

"Awesome. In one day I killed a child, displaced another one, told Tyler off, and got my patient-as-a-saint wife to lose her patience with me. How was your day?"

"Edward, you did not _kill_ anybody. You need to stop doing this! You. Can't. Save. Everyone!"

He became silent, picking at the label on his beer. Suddenly, he watched Rose grab her purse and pull something out—a square something. He began laughing, it sounded foreign to him, like it was someone else's laugh. "Such rebels..." he said, shaking his head in mock sadness.

Rosalie took two of the cigars and lit them off of the candles on the table. "We thought we were so cool back then."

Edward took one and smiled, remembering all the nights in high school he and Rosalie would sneak out and head towards the old field behind his house. They would smoke them, then eat mints, thinking they were sneaking it past their parents. They weren't—and Edward was grounded a few times for it. Of course, Esme never turned Rosalie down so she still got to visit. Esme never really was a good disciplinarian and Rose's father was too high and mighty to notice that his little girl wasn't the innocent sweetheart he though she was.

"So, you need to talk. I'm not Bella so you can't be banished to the couch or lose remote control privileges. Tell me what you're really thinking."

"I'm thinking I fucked up."

"I'm not going to say this again. You are _not _responsible for the death of that kid. You _are_ responsible for saving Robby's life. You did the right thing by turning him over to people who could care for him—you didn't displace him as you put it. Bella didn't lose her patience with you, she's losing them with herself."

"She said that?" Edward asked, blowing smoke away from the table, concern written all over his face.

"Yeah. That's why she called me. She's having a hard time right now and doesn't want to push her problems onto you."

"What problems? Maybe I should go home. If she's upset..."

"You'll only make things worse if you go back telling her 'I fucked up'," she said this last part in a deeper voice, trying to imitate him.

"I know she's upset about what happened last night. I broke a promise to her. See, I told her I wouldn't do anything stupid and I did something really stupid by going into that house without any fire protection..."

"I heard. It was the first thing Emmett said to me."

"Well, anyway, she's upset about that..."

"I'm going to say this is the nicest way possible," she said, cutting him off. "Not everything is about you."

Edward stopped and just looked at her, "Um..."

"You know, you're so upset about what happened that you're more upset about it than she is. Which is good. Don't fucking do it again—it _was_ dangerous and stupid. Either way, she's way upset about this baby thing and she's worried about Jake. She needs you for support more than keeping promises."

"Do you think I'm pushing her too much about getting pregnant? I'm not trying to..."

"Oh my GOD! Not about you! It's quite clear that your baby making abilities are able. She's upset because SHE can't get pregnant."

"What if it's just the two of us together? Like biologically we can't."

"Then you can't. My _point_ is, she's blaming solely herself."

"I told her a million times this wasn't her fault, Rose," Edward said, getting defensive.

"Well, she needs to keep hearing it."

Edward couldn't help it but he had to ask the next question, it was something that had been plaguing him since he and Bella first met. "Is Emmett jealous of me?"

Rosalie's head snapped up. Never had they actually sat down and discussed the fact that they were just friends, it had just always been like that. It was awkward, so they avoided it at all costs. Now, Edward just opened a can of worms and he didn't know if he could put them back in. "Should he be?" Rose asked, a strained expression on her face.

"No."

She looked away, taking a drag off the cigar, and shrugged, "Well, he is. He gets pissed off about it. In fact, he fought with me tonight about my going out with you alone. He loves you like a brother but he's a jealous guy, Edward. You know the night I told him I was going to have Liliana? That night at your parents? Well, he asked me when we were on our way home if it was yours."

Edward looked at her like he couldn't even fathom what she'd just said. "It's wasn't...isn't...that's just..."

"Crazy? Yeah. _We_ think so."

"What do you mean?" he asked, she was being way too cryptic with him and the beer was already starting to set in.

"This isn't about Emmett, you, and me, is it? This is about Jacob, you, and Bella."

Edward looked away before nodding and answering honestly. "I hate him. I hate that she talks to him. It makes me sick when she sits down to read his letters. I'd never tell her that because it makes her happy but I hate that she has that intimacy with someone who isn't me. Rose, Tanya wasn't even emotionally attached to those guys she fucked behind me back, it didn't fucking matter. She did it anyway. Jacob is someone who Bella has a serious connection with."

"_You_ are someone_ I_ have a serious connection with. The _situation_ really isn't that different. In fact, Jake sees Bella a whole lot less than I see you. There connection doesn't _mean _anything—at least not the way you're taking it."

"What if he could get her...I mean if she could with..." he was aware that he was literally choking on his own words.

"Do you hear yourself? You can't even fucking say it. What? You're afraid Bella is going to leave you to go have Jake's baby?"

"Rose...forget it. I shouldn't have said anything..."

"Yeah, because it's _stupid_. Just as stupid as Emmett thinking you got me pregnant. That look of disbelief you gave me is exactly the one Bella would give you if you just admitted that to her. If she's not open to adoption or fertility treatment because she wants it to happen naturally between the _two of you_, why the fuck would she even consider it? This isn't about Bella, this is still about Tanya. God, after all these years that bitch is still ruining your life!"

"Rose, please..."

"No. I'm going to say this for the _last_ time. She was a _whore_. A person who opened her legs to anyone who had a dick. _You_ she married. _You_ she came home to—once in awhile. It's seriously going to kill me to say this because I would cut off my own arm before defending her but in her own fucked up bitchy way, she loved _you_. She loved you enough to agree to have a child with you. You even bring out the semi-good in the whores of the world. Edward, look at you. You're gorgeous. Bella's not the only one I've seen that you can turn to putty. In fact, my own husband complains when he gets home from the bars with you because the girls check you out before they look at him. From what Bella says, it's not the physical you're lacking in. It's the emotional. You're so down on yourself and there's no reason for it."

"So, to sum things up, Bella tells you way more about our sex life than she should and I need to get over myself," he stated dryly.

"You have a way with words, Cullen," she said, taking a drag of her cherry flavored cigar and blowing it away from them. "So, tell me, what do you want? If you could tell Bella anything..."

"I _can_ tell her anything."

"Then what are you going to say to her when you get home?" Rose challenged.

"I want to adopt Robby. Permanently." For the second time that night, Rosalie was told something she sure as hell wasn't expecting.

"Woah. Where the hell did that come from?"

Bella was still up, having tucked Kaley into bed hours ago. She thought of her little office and how it seemed more of a curse than a gift. It was just another empty room, one that would have been a nursery. When she went in there to work on her laptop, she realized she just couldn't stay in there any longer. If anything was a symbol of emptiness, it was that room. Getting Kaley down was enough to wear Bella out, anyway. She read five books, went through a whole sippy cup of warm milk, tried—badly-to sing, and even put her in front of the TV for awhile. Kaley really just wanted daddy.

Bella refused to call him, though. He needed this as much as she needed to hear that Jake was okay. Rosalie had always been able to say the right thing to him—even if it was stuff he'd rather not hear. The problem was, she was left alone with her thoughts which were scary enough that Bella should have been the one out at the bar drinking. It also wasn't helping that after sneaking out of her own office, she had gone through Edward's files and pulled Robby's.

Now, at one thirty in the morning, Bella ran her finger over the little boy's picture. She thought about that morning, about how much he was just happy to...be. It had nothing to do with toys or getting to watch TV but everything to do with having food and getting a warm bath. 'Having food'-how many people took that for granted...

When the door opened at a quarter til two and she heard keys falling onto the table, she quickly stuck the file in her top bedside table drawer. Edward, looking a hot mess, came stumbling in seconds later. "What are you still doing up, baby?"

She tried not to laugh as he sat down to take off his shoes and about face planted onto the carpet. "How much did you have to drink?"

"A lot," was his only response after he stumbled into the bathroom and she heard the tell-tale trickle and toilet flush.

Bella had never really seen him drunk, always careful because of Kaley. He was never one to shirk his responsibilities and tonight she found it endearing...if not a little humorous. He was trying to unbutton his shirt...and failing horribly. "Hey, let me help you before you break your arm..."

She walked on her knees to the side of the bed he was standing beside and reached out to undo his buttons. As she pulled that shirt off, she helped him pull his gray t-shit over his head. His hair looked like he'd been pulling at it—which after today she was sure he had—and Bella wanted so badly to run her hands through it. Next were his pants, Bella undid the buckle and slid them down his thighs. He was just left with his boxes and she couldn't help but sit back and stare at this Adonis that was her husband—albeit a _drunk_ Adonis.

"Bells, I love you," he said, sitting down beside her.

"I love you, too," she smiled, kissing his cheek.

"I have an idea!" he exclaimed.

"Shh...don't wake your daughter..."

"Our daughter," he said, bringing a finger to her lips as if to keep her quiet.

"Yes. Our daughter who missed her daddy tonight," she said pulling away from his hand.

"I missed her. I missed you."

"So, what's this about an idea?" Bella asked, amused, having no idea what was about to come out of his mouth.

"Let's fuck," he stood up and she watched him walk into the bathroom. Grabbing a condom from the drawer, he stumbled back into the room, ending up-without falling-by the bed. "We're using a condom. This is strictly fucking for fun. No babies will be made in this process."

"Edward, you're really drunk. Maybe you should just come lie down."

"It's fine. You're not take advantage of me," he slurred, pulling his penis from his boxers and leaving the boxers on. Then, with much effort, he managed to get the condom on and Bella couldn't help but wonder if he was this drunk when he had slept with a few girls in college that he'd told her about before they were married. If so, she wondered if he had any illegitimate children he didn't know about.

"I didn't think I was," Bella said, rolling her eyes. Him standing there, fully erect, and looking down at her totally clothed body with nothing but awe broke her down. With a playful sigh, she coaxed him over by taking off her shirt and and pulling off the pair of shorts she was wearing. "Get over here, husband."

He smiled and climbed onto the bed then. Realizing she had to pee, she whispered that she'd be right back. When the deed was done, she opened the bathroom door, excited and happy she stayed up waiting for him...until she heard it. Snoring. The loudest snoring she'd ever heard in her life. For the first time in she couldn't remember how long, Bella genuinely laughed. It started out a small giggle and ended with her pulling a robe on and heading into the bathroom to sit on the tub so she wouldn't wake with her hysterics. At some point, she realized her mind was completely blank. There was nothing there. No sorrow, no hurt, not even that happily-ever-after feeling. It wasn't until the tears came that she realized something had to give.

She wanted a baby so badly that she would lay in bed at night, trying to imagine what it would feel like to have that swollen belly in front of her, to know what it would be like to have Edward's hand resting on their baby still in her belly, and even just to nurture a little child—even if it was Kaley—to the point that she almost risked waking her up just so she could hold her. The image of Robby came to mind, in the hospital by himself, not knowing what it felt like to truly be held. So, Bella sat up the rest of the night, sobbing for the little boy that was somewhere unfamiliar and scared while her husband got his first night of full sleep since before she could remember as she worried about him, too.

**Leave it to Rosalie to state everything so eloquently. ;) Hope you found that amusing. Either way, you WILL be finding out the answer to the big question—not the pregnancy one—but the one about Robby in the next chapter. It will be updated tomorrow so review this one today! LP xxoxoxoxo**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 40**

Bella was lying beside her husband, watching as his face twisted and then settled back into it's adorable, normal features. There wasn't a time she could remember that he slept and she could just sit back and watch. After coming out of the bathroom around two thirty in the morning, she had taken off the condom he was still wearing and pulled the blankets up over his body. Obviously, he was out cold being that he hadn't even budged when she'd grabbed him.

It was close to five when it started. She was drifting, though not really asleep when she heard her name. Disoriented, she sat up and looked to see if Kaley had wandered in. Then she heard it again—coming from Edward. He was drenched in sweat and Bella realized she must have been out for longer than she thought. He was mumbling something, though she couldn't make out the words. She had thought he was past this, past the nightmares, in fact he slept beside her every night without any problems.

She noticed he was clenching his fists and she grabbed the one closest to her, pulling his fingers apart gently and rubbing the pad of his hand. "Edward," she whispered softly.

He was pulling at her wrist, trying to slide her towards him and she let him. When he put more pressure on it, she winced and tried to shake him awake. "Edward," she said, this time louder.

When his eyes still wouldn't open, she pulled her wrist away and he began to cry. _What the hell is going on? _"Wake up! Edward, please!"

He came awake with a start and she looked at him as he tried to catch his breath. "Bella?"

"I'm here. Right here. Calm down..." he closed his eyes, resting his head on Bella's shoulder after sitting up. She wrapped one arm around him and rested the other on his chest. What she felt scared her. "Oh, God. Your heart is beating _way_ too fast..."

"I'm okay. Just give me a minute," he said, out of breath.

Bella stayed quiet, waiting for him to get his bearings. "I'm sorry...I thought the alcohol might help...not make things worse."

He smirked after a long silence, "Were you trying to get me drunk so you could have your way with me?"

"No!" Bella laughed in spite of the situation. "Although, you were rearing to go for about ten seconds, then you passed out on me."

"No I didn't," he said with an amused expression.

"Yes, you did. In fact, I helped undress you and you decided you wanted to have _protected _sex. Edward, you even put a condom on."

He looked at her like she was nuts. "I must have been drunk..."

"Ya think? I got up to go the bathroom and you were passed out on the bed til I got back."

"Wow."

"Yeah," she said quietly, looking away.

"Hey," he pulled her chin towards him, "I'm sorry for scaring you. The nightmares..."

"I thought they went away, Edward. I thought it wasn't an issue anymore."

He shook his head, "They're just as real as ever..."

Bella teared up, hating that he hated himself so much. His mind was doing this to itself and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She did something that made absolutely no sense but she just simply couldn't stop herself. Pressing her lips to his, she slid down and pulled him with her so that they were lying side by side. They stayed that way, eyes closed, lips locked, and bodies pressed until she felt his heartbeat become normal against her own.

"Is it bad that I want you right now?" he breathed against her mouth.

She shook her head no, having thought the same thing but was too shy to speak on it. She ran her hands to his hair, pulling gently, and almost coming from that action alone. "I love you," was her verbal response and he took that as a go.

Rolling her onto her back, his fingers slipped under the elastic of the shorts she had on, and teased the bundle of nerves. He watched her face the whole time, the way she bit her lip, lust danced in her eyes, and she whispered his name. He was throbbing but wanted to make sure she was ready to take him. A few seconds later, just as he slid two fingers in and felt her begin to clench, he pulled them back out. "Ugh...no..." she whimpered with a small smile and heavy-lidded eyes.

He pulled off the shorts and panties, tossing them to the side as he lifted her shirt up. Not bothering to pull it over her head, it let it rest above her perky breasts. Taking a nipple into his mouth, he wondered for the hundredth time what she would look like pregnant. He wondered if he'd still be able to hold her breasts in his hands, if she would gain weight in places other than her belly, and he couldn't believe how much harder he was thrusting as he thought about it. To see Bella, his tiny Bella, pregnant with his baby was the hottest thing he had ever imagined.

"Edward..." she moaned, lifting her hips to meet his as he nipped her collarbone, "I...I have to tell you something. I know...probably not the best time...I can't not say it any longer..."

He stopped his assault and held himself above her, still connected. He began to worry as she seemed to be struggling for words. Then, he realized it probably had to do with the fact that she was close to orgasm and needed a second to collect herself...or else something worse that what he could imagine was wrong. "Baby, tell me what's wrong? Am I hurting you?"

"No. Not at all...I did a lot of thinking last night. I know this isn't the best time for us, what with trying for a baby and all the other insanity...but I can't live without knowing that Robby's okay. I just can't. It's eating me alive."

He closed his eyes and when he opened them found she was looking at him expectantly. "I think we should do it, Bella. I'm still sick over leaving him at the hospital yesterday. I want him here."

"I'm sorry I was against it at first...it's just a lot to consider..."

"And I was worried about Kaley..."

"And I was worried about you..."

"And we both wanted our own baby..."

"Edward, I still do. I still want a baby, though."

"Alright, then we'll still have a baby. Bella, this is going to be a lot of responsibility."

"I'll have all summer with Robby. Give me to the end of summer. If things don't work out, then we won't do a permanent adoption. Don't you think we could just foster him? Just until we know how he'll be around Kaley..."

"Yes. Yes. Let's do it. I'll call my dad, see where Robby is..." Edward said, with tears in his eyes.

Bella laughed at his excitement, "Can we finish the making of our own little one first? It seriously will only take a few more seconds..."

When Bella was sated and they were both showered and dressed, Edward went in to get his daughter up for school. Bella said that she had trouble getting Kaley to bed the night before and his cranky little girl definitely supported her claims. "I missed you..." she whined, her little lips going into a pout.

"I only went with Aunt Rose for a little while, honey," he said, picking her up and carrying her into the living room. Bella kissed her on the cheek as she dug her face into his shoulder, trying to go back to sleep. "Kaley, you have to wake up. You have to go to school."

"No," she whined again, kicking her legs this time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had trouble getting her up, usually she was banging on the bedroom door for them at the crack of dawn.

He held her tightly, selfishly reveling in her wanting him. "Bells?"

"Yeah?" Bella came in, carrying the phone and handing it to him.

"I don't know if she's up for s-c-h-o-o-l today."

"Why don't you call your dad and find out if he can tell us where Robby is. I'm not so sure your boss is too happy with you right now. I don't know if I should go into work today or not..."

"Do you have any personal days?"

"I told you I have about five saved up. I was afraid to use them in case the pregnancy thing worked out. I can use one of those days if you think we can get him today."

"I'll call and see. We're going to need to get some things, though. You know, figure out where he's going to sleep..."

"In the office. We can move everything from there downstairs and put up a bed where the computer desk is," she replied without a moment's hesitation.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" he smirked.

"What else was I supposed to do while you were out getting your drink on? Huh?" she asked playfully.

"You amaze me."

"I know," she smirked, practically skipping back into the kitchen.

Edward sat down with Kaley, now sleeping soundly on his shoulder, to call his dad. As the phone rang, he thought about how happy Bella was since he had agreed to fostering Robby and couldn't help but worry. She was already depressed about their baby situation and if they couldn't get Robby back, he was worried that it would push her over the edge.

"Hello?" Carlisle asked as Edward heard talking in the background.

"Hey, where are you at?"

"The clinic. Why? What's up?"

"I was wondering if you knew whether or not they placed Robby."

"I don't know but why don't you? You're his case worker."

"I may have had a bit of a breakdown in front of my boss and two police officers yesterday. They asked me to take a few days off...I'll call them I guess."

"Why?"

"To find out where he is."

"I got that, why do you want to know though?"

"I'll talk to you about it later."

"Alright. Call me if you need help." The way it was said, told Edward his father knew exactly what he was up to.

"Edward, a day off is a day off. Enjoy it!" Gary said, trying to sound annoyed but he was too amused for it.

"I need to talk to you about something. You know how I have my foster parenting certs?"

"Yes..."

"I want to foster Robby. Bella and I would love to have him and I swear yesterday I was just dealing with a lot. I'm fine. I can do this..."

"Okay. When can you come get him?" The man asked, sounding relieved.

"What? It's that easy?"

"Edward, I've got my hands full right now and he's not going to take well to the safe house, there's too many people. I called two foster couples on the list so far but they both turned it down. He's still over at the hospital but he'll need a place to go tonight. I was going to bring him home with me but he won't even look at me..."

"Alright, so he's at the hospital? Can you fax guardianship papers over to them? We can get him as soon as they'll let him leave..."

"Yeah. Edward, are you really sure about this? It's going to be a handful."

"We'll be at the hospital in a couple hours. Get those papers filled out."

He hung up, leaning back against the couch, cradling Kaley. Bella walked in, obviously having heard the conversation from the smile on her face. He looked over at her. "Go get ready, we've got to get ready to go get a bed for him and be at the hospital as soon as it's assembled."

Edward got to work. First, he pulled the desk and most of the bookshelves from the room. Next, he assembled the bed and dresser set they just bought in their place. When he was satisfied that it would hold enough to let Kaley jump on it, he got to work putting up the dinosaur curtains Bella had found while she brought up the new sheets, fresh out of the dryer, and put them on the bed. Kaley was trying to help by picking some books out and putting them on a bookshelf for him. He knew before they left that they'd need to talk to her about it.

Since she was off school, Kaley had followed Edward around all day and he had to get Bella to occupy her while he put the bed together, worried she'd get hurt if she tried to grab the drill. He loved getting to spend time with her, though. The way she held onto him that morning reminded him of when it was just them, before he and Bella had been married, and they'd fall asleep on the couch together. He vowed that now that they were taking Robby in, he'd take time to do things with just her. There was no way she was going to be pushed aside.

Edward waited until Bella went to jump in the shower and get ready for the trip to pick Robby up before taking Kaley outside and sitting down in the grass with her. "Kaley, daddy has something he wants to talk to you about. Do you remember Robby, the little boy in your class at school?"

"He's sad."

"Yeah, honey, he is sad. His daddy and mommy weren't very nice to him but now they're gone and Robby's all alone."

"Are they in heaven with Grammy Annie?"

"Yeah, little bug, something like that. Since he doesn't have a mommy and daddy anymore, me and mommy would really like to be his mommy and daddy, too..."

"You're my mommy and daddy," she said, confusion clear on her face.

"Well, do you remember how you told me you wanted a baby brother or sister?"

"Yeah."

"If mommy and daddy have a baby, we'll be the baby's mommy and daddy, too. Robby is all alone, bug, don't you think it would be nice if he could come live with us? Even if he wasn't a baby?"

"I still want a baby, daddy."

"I know. Maybe someday soon but what do you think about Robby coming to live with us?" Edward asked, trying to get her to focus.

"I guess you can be his daddy, too."

"And mommy? Can she be his mommy, too?"

"Yeah. I still want a baby, though."

Bella watched Edward and Kaley from the kitchen window. She knew he wouldn't just take in the little boy without discussing it with the smallest Cullen first. Kaley seemed to be taking it well. "Mommy!" she yelled as she and Edward came into the kitchen a minute later, "We're going to pick up Robby at the hoppital! He's in my class at school! He's sad, though."

Smiling at Edward, Bella wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. In less than an hour, they would have a new little addition to the family. "We're going to try to make him happy, Kaley. Are you excited to get a brother?"

"Yes. Daddy said I can still get a baby, though."

Bella didn't know how to take that one and slightly wanted to slap Edward for telling her that. Kaley truly thought she was getting a baby regardless. "You _might_ be getting a baby. Mommy and daddy are...working...on that. Sometimes though, God makes people wait a really long time and sometimes it doesn't happen at all," she said, looking at Edward as she said it.

When they got to the hospital, Bella had one of many of his new outfits ready for him, as well as a new pair of shoes, his own hairbrush, and his own booster seat—most of which was bought when they went to get the bed earlier that day. Walking into his room, Bella's heart broke all over again. He was sitting in front of the window on a little chair, his eyes wide as if he could take in the world. "Hey, Robby," she heard Edward coo quietly. At first Robby glanced at him but quickly went back to the window—then did a double take.

"Whatcha looking at?" Kaley asked, trying to see out the same window.

He hesitated, as if thinking about what to say, then smiled slightly. "Everything."

"Robby, we talked to the people who work here and we came to take you home..." Bella said, kneeling down beside him.

She didn't get the reaction she was expecting. "No. No. Please let me stay here. I'll be good. I promise..."

At first she didn't understand why he was so upset. It wasn't until Edward sat down across from him and said quietly, "I'm not taking you back to your mommy or daddy. I promised you they wouldn't hurt you again and I meant it. Remember? They aren't even living at your old house anymore and I'm not going to take you there, anyway. We want you to come stay with us. Like you did the other night."

Bella wanted to kick herself for letting the little boy even consider the fact that they'd be giving him back to those people. At first, Robby just went back to looking out the window and Bella wondered what it would mean if he said no, that he didn't want to stay with them. After two excruciating minutes, Robby looked to Kaley. As if she knew exactly what he was silently asking, she walked right over to Edward and hugged him. He picked her up, not really even thinking about it and absently kissed her cheek. Bella watched as Robby's face lit up. The biggest shocker came when he got up from the chair and went over to them. "I'm ready."

After getting him buckled in—which was a treat as he hated to be restrained, they went straight home. He held onto Bella's hand, squeezing it anytime he felt scared, which was just about anytime Edward was in touching distance of him. After giving him a bit of a better tour—though he refused to go near the basement/playroom—they showed him his room. "Here it is, buddy. Just like Kaley, you have your own room now. The walls are purple now but we can paint them, you have your very own bed, and here's a nightlight because it's okay to not like the dark sometimes. Just know that you never have to be afraid of it and that me and Bella's room is right across the hall. You yell if you need us and we'll be here, okay?"

Robby stood in the middle of the room, taking it in, looking around, and for the first time Bella saw hope written all over his face. He had let go of Bella's hand and was standing closer to Edward than Bella expected him to. When her husband sat down on the floor to show him his bookshelf and the books Kaley picked out for him, she got the biggest shocker of her and Edward's entire marriage. With a smile on his face, despite tears on his cheeks, little Robby Davareaux, a boy who lived through something Bella couldn't even have imagined, ran to her husband and flung himself into his arms.

So, she stood there crying herself, unable to control it as Kaley tugged on her hand, telling her she wanted Bella to sit down beside Edward. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she noticed Edward was crying too as he rocked the sobbing little boy in his arms. Kaley climbed into her lap and there the four of them sat. The hole Bellla had felt in her heart was finally felt filled. She didn't need nine months or a long labor. The whole ordeal her little boy and husband had been through more than made up for missing out on the trauma of labor. Bella couldn't tell who was crying harder, Edward or Robby, but she knew in her heart of hearts that he was theirs. Robert Thomas Davareaux was home.

**The next couple chapters are going to be a lot lighter, I think we could all use some light. Being that everyone's reactions are very split about what should happen, I decided to go in the direction I had originally planned. I can't make everyone happy but there are going to be some more surprises in store in the near future. I hope you are all still enjoying the story and don't hate me too much. PS We're up to over 700 reviews. Amazing! LP xx **


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 41**

The next couple weeks were a huge adjustment for all four of them. The first few days were significantly hard on Edward, who while Robby really opened up to him, was still feared by the little boy. The first full day he was home with them, Bella was being her clumsy self and dropped a glass after dinner. It shattered, pieces scattering all over the floor of the kitchen. Edward immediately jumped up to help, telling Bella to stay where she was at, that he'd get the broom and dustpan. He said it in a way that demanded authority, not because he was angry with her, but because she was in her bare feet and he was worried she'd step on the glass.

Kaley and Robby had been on the floor playing Hungry Hungry Hippos in the living room when it happened. While Kaley backed away and stayed in the living room after Bella told them to stay out of the kitchen until the sharp glass was picked up, Robby darted towards her. Edward tried to grab him before he could get hurt but it was Bella who ended up getting him. He looked at Edward, his face full of both fear and determination as he asked, "Are you going to hit Bella?"

The look of shock that came across Edward's face nearly killed her. "Absolutely not. We don't hit each other, Robby. Ever. No one hits. I would never, ever hurt Bella. I love Bella."

If that hadn't been upsetting enough, he did something the next day that made Bella want to dig up the kids parents and kill them again. During breakfast, he was gulping down his food like always, he had eaten that way at every meal. It was almost like he thought there would be a point that they'd quit feeding him—something Bella didn't want to dwell on. Well, this particular morning, he became a little excited over a blueberry muffin and knocked over his milk glass. There was barely anything left in it but a little bit got onto the table. Bella had never seen a child react to anything as quickly. Before she even really knew what happened, he had jumped out of the chair, ran for the hallway, and wedged himself between the closet and bookshelf in his room. They found him crouched there, hands over his ears, and bawling.

It took them fifteen minutes to get him to come out, reassuring him that he wasn't in trouble, and that he should come finish his dinner. Kaley just watched the exchange, curious as to what the problem was. Of course, she would ask Edward questions when he went to tuck her in, he'd answer and relay the question to Bella as they laid in bed at night. "She asked me why Robby's afraid of the basement," he said one night after Robby panicked when Kaley tried to get him to go downstairs and play with her.

They gave her as much truth as they could without bringing up any upsetting details. He was afraid of the basement because it was too dark down there for him. He didn't like loud noises because his ears were sensitive. He ate really fast because he was just simply hungry. All of these were just little half-truths that Edward and Bella lived by to protect their daughter. Kaley was taking all of it in stride, helping him get his book bag ready in the morning, helping him find his shoes—which were constantly going missing, and even trying to explain things that he didn't understand.

One such example was when Bella asked Robby what he wanted in his lunch box. He had looked at her like she was nuts and just shook his head. While he still qualified for free lunches because of the state, Bella figured she might as well pack for him since she had been packing for Kaley. It wasn't that she didn't trust the school food, it was just that Kaley was so picky she would literally go all day without eating if it was something she disliked in the cafeteria that day.

"You get to pick PBJ, bologna samich, or ham cubes. Then I have juice, apple, and fruit snacks. Sometimes, if it's a special day, I even get a cookie," Kaley explained proudly.

Bella smiled as the two of them ate breakfast and discussed their lunches. "So, what will it be, Robby?"

"May I have ham cubes?" he asked, looking down at the floor. As a teacher, Bella was floored by his grasp of the English language but at the same time, because of her profession, it completely confounded her. She wondered what she'd have to do to get a child to speak like that...it was the same sort of things that made them act like they were perfect...the same sort of things that made Robby think he was in trouble for every little thing.

On Thursday evening, just a few days after he came to live with them, Edward came home from work and looked at Kaley. "Hey, little bug, what do you say we go play some putt putt golf?"

Bella noticed he was talking quietly and had waited for Robby to leave to ask her. "Yeah! Putt putt! Is Robby going to come?" she asked, though Bella could tell she really didn't care one way or the other.

"I think maybe me and you should just go. Just the two of us." Bella watched as Kaley's face lit up as she hugged Edward. It eventually would become a tradition. They spent a different night each week spending time with each other. It was hard to take Robby out in public still and it gave Edward some serious bonding time with Kaley.

The weekend after the first daddy-daughter outing, they took Robby out for the first time besides him just going to school since he came to them. Edward wanted to introduce him slowly, knowing he was scared of people. So, on Friday night, they went to his parents for dinner. It went well enough, Robby wouldn't look at Carlisle but seemed to take well to Esme. She baked him his own little chocolate cake, letting him dig into it, as if he were a one year old on his first birthday. By the end of the visit, he was not only looking at Carlisle but smiling—though the only man Bella had ever seen touch him was Edward.

On Saturday, they asked Emmett and Rosalie if they were up for a visit. Rose was excited and immediately agreed, wanting to meet the little boy Edward had told her so much about. Emmett, being his big old teddy bear self, scared the hell out of Robby. As soon as they were through the front doors and heard Emmett say hello as he went to greet them, Robby immediately began to shake and bolted back out the door. It took Bella, Edward, Kaley, and a curious Lily to get him to come back inside. Emmett stayed upstairs due to a request from Edward until he was acclimated with Rose and Lily. After about a half hour, Edward went and got him, making sure that Robby saw the two make physical contact with the other by Edward touching Emmett's arm. Emmett went to pick up Kaley and Robby put his little body in front of her, as if for protection.

Kaley, due to her happy, clueless self, just went around him and jumped up for Emmett to pick her up. Robby watched curiously for a few minutes before finally making eye contact with the giant. "Robby, this is my daughter. Her name is Lily," Emmett said, picking Lily up so that he was holding both little girls.

"Are you her daddy?" he asked, his voice tiny.

"Yes I am. Just like Edward is Kaley's daddy."

Robby still backed away from him and reached for Bella, who smiled in apology. Emmett just nodded in a way that told her he understood. They took the kids outside to the let them play, though they could tell Robby was scared. The girls tried to include him, Kaley even got him to go down the slide, but he kept looking over at Bella and Edward. When the neighbor came out, though, Robby walked quickly to Edward's side. Bella watched as Edward walked him back over and played with the three kids.

"While he's over there, what all needs done for the party?" Rose asked.

"Oh, God. I know this is going to sound terrible but I really haven't thought much about it. Things have just been crazy..."

"Let me help. You have a lot on your plate. Alice, Esme, Clair and I can do whatever you need. Just say the word."

"Well," Bella began, "Esme offered to make the cake, Alice is having it at her place which is help enough, and really there's not much else to do. It's nothing big. Just you three, us four, his parents, Ally and Jazz. I don't know what's going to happen with Tyler and Clair...I guess James might stop by."

"Is Clair back in school or what's going on?"

"She's not back. Matt's been subbing for her—a friend of mine from college. I'm wondering about what's going on with her and Ty, though. He sounded like he wanted to be with her. I guess the ball is in her court..."

"People don't recover easily from that type of betrayal," Rosalie said, looking over at Edward.

"I know..."

Edward had just tossed a ball to Kaley, who was giggling uncontrollably, when Emmett approached. He looked down absently to make sure Robby was okay before looking at his best friend's husband, remembering what Rose said about Emmett being jealous. He felt guilty. "Hey, man."

"Hey. I um...wanted to talk to you about something. If I overstep my bounds just say so and I'll shut up. Don't tell Rose I said anything either...but she said you were having trouble dealing with some of the shit that we...well...deal with. So I wanted to tell you that I know someone who might be able to help. I've been going to her for awhile now, actually. She works with trauma victims and Rose was going to tell you about her anyway because of Robby but maybe you should talk to her...for _you_."

"Like a therapist?" Edward asked, blown away by the revelation that he wasn't the only one who had problems, the big bad Emmett did, too.

"Yeah. Look, I know some people have this weird stigma..."

"No. I actually considered it around the time Bells and I got married...then I went back to school and things got kind of crazy. It might help both of us if I go. I know I upset her..."

"She loves you," Emmett said, glancing over at the girls on the porch.

"I love her. I really didn't plan to meet anyone until Kaley was much older. Tanya kind of...shoved me...into the land of being single. Then Bella showed up...I never saw her coming," Edward thought about what he wanted to say, not wanting it to come out wrong, and briefly worrying that _he_ was the one that was crossing a line. "Em, Bella and Kaley are my entire life. I would never do something to hurt Bella in the same way that Tanya hurt me. I know that Rose and I are close and I know it upsets you. Just please believe that I have never been with her in anywhere near a sexual way. You, Jazz and Ty are like brothers to me. There are far too many people in our lives that would get hurt by us."

"I know. I know and it's just one of those things, ya know?" Emmett chuckled. "I know you have issues with Bella and Jake so all I have to say is just think about what bothers you. If you wouldn't want Bella and Jake to be a certain way together, chances are, it would bother me if you and Rose were that way."

"I understand. Completely. I'm glad we talked."

"Me too. Want that number for the therapist? I'm telling you, she'd be great with Robby as well. Two birds, one stone."

"Yeah. I'll give her a call on Monday."

"Who wants ice cream?" Rosalie called, directing it towards the kids.

"Me!" Edward and Emmett both yelled at the same time.

While the little girls ran over, Emmett and Edward headed towards them as well. Robby hung back looking down at the ground. When Bella handed Edward his own bowl of ice cream, he noticed the little boy hadn't followed him. Bella scooped a bowl for Robby and called to him. He just looked at them. "Robby, what's wrong?" Edward asked, walking towards him again.

"Nothing," Robby said quietly.

"Well, do you want some ice cream?"

He nodded his little head. "Here, buddy, have mine. Go ahead. Take it."

Robby took it carefully and Edward noticed his legs were shaking. He reached his hand out to take the one not occupied with the ice cream bowl. They made their way to the picnic table where everyone was at and he helped him sit beside Kaley. These were the times when Edward was brought down a few notches. Robby was not going to just be a normal kid, normal to Robby was starvation and darkness, not playing outside and ice cream. As Edward helped Kaley by tucking a napkin into her shirt, Bella poured some sprinkles onto Robby's ice cream, having seen the exchange between him and Edward. She caught Edward staring at her and smiled, mouthing the words 'I love you'.

"So, I have officially taken charge, once again, of this years vacation. Are you guys in?" Rosalie asked.

Every year that Edward had been apart of the department, they had made a trip to the beach. The group of them would split for a house and anyone was welcome, girlfriends, wives, parents, kids...though he had been the only one with a child. The first two years he didn't go, Kaley was just an infant at that point and he was worried about the long trip. The year he met Bella, they had gone the month before she came into their lives. Watching Kaley play in the water and teaching her how to build sandcastles had been his favorite part of the trip. He loved getting to watch her grow up and knew that if anything, the decision to beg Tanya to go through with the pregnancy had been the best decision he'd ever made. That little girl was his world. This year would be a little more difficult.

"I don't know, Rose. Robby's not good with crowds. I don't know how he'd do on a long trip either..." Edward said, not wanting Robby to think he was causing problems—but saw he was really into the ice cream.

"Alright, well, just think about it. We're only looking at about a hundred each if your parents and Clair come. I don't know that she will this year, though. I know Tyler's going to go."

"Alright. Just give us a few weeks to decide. When do you need the money?"

"Not until the week before. I know the owner of the house. It's huge, right on the beach, and away from the summer crowd."

The four of them ended up at the McCarty's much later than expected, not getting home until almost eleven. Edward noticed Bella was about dead on her feet, and after he tucked the kids into bed, he picked her up off of the couch and put her into the bath tub. "Just one more week, baby. Then you'll have a nice break for the summer."

"Mm...I actually was thinking of volunteering at the library. I can enroll the kids in the summer reading program while I help run it. Kaley will love it and it'll be good for Robby."

"Bells, I know you've had a hard year, why don't you just relax?"

"I like to be busy."

"I know but stress is a big deal when it comes to trying to get pregnant..."

"I'm not stressed. I'm actually happy. I'm a lot happier than I was just a week ago, things feel more complete to me now. I wanted to talk to you, though. About going to the beach with everyone? I really want you to be able to go. I know we can't make the final decision and I'd love to go but if it comes down to it, why don't you take Kaley and I'll stay here with Robby?"

"No, Bella. We all go or none of us go. End of story. Besides, I don't want to be away from you for that long. What if you need me?"

"Well, then, let's see how things go over the next couple of weeks. Robby is already starting to come out of his shell. I think he finally gets that he doesn't have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. That's a start..."

"I saw how he was warming up to Emmett, too. If he can handle Emmett, I'm sure he'll be fine with Jazz."

"Speaking of, we should take him over there after church tomorrow. I bet he's never swam before, I'd like him to get used to the water before we even consider the beach."

"Alright. I have to stop by the station anyway, James called and said he had shirts for me to pick up. We can do all of that tomorrow. You haven't seen Ally in awhile..."

"We're both kind of busy. I think we'll see each other a lot more when school lets out."

"Why don't you two plan to go out sometime this week? I got to have my fun, it's your turn."

"Sounds good to me. I wanted to tell you, too, I'm glad you're spending a lot of time with Kaley. She loves it. I know she loves me but that little one only has eyes for her daddy. Mommy will always play second fiddle."

"Nah, when she gets older and I don't let her have boys over but you don't think it's a problem—you'll be the favorite and daddy will just be 'mean'."

The next morning, Bella was getting ready for church as Edward made breakfast. Deciding to throw in a load of laundry before they left, she grabbed their hamper and headed downstairs. Robby still refused to go down there and sat at the top of the steps watching her. Kaley was in the kitchen, helping Edward cook. Going through pockets, she found about five dollars in change, a bobby pin, and a million other things people find in pockets all of the time. She had learned a big lesson once when she _didn't_ go through the pockets and found that there was lipstick in her one hoodie pocket—which had stained about five pairs of jeans and four shirts.

She wadded the little pile up and turned on the washer. Looking down, she noticed a piece of notebook paper folded into a small square. She recognized it as coming out of Edward's jean pocket and curiosity got the best of her. It wasn't hers to look at but she assumed it was just notes from a case or something innocent, instead, it was phone number with the name Carolyn. Stuffing it into her jeans pocket, she headed upstairs, suspicions swirling in her mind.

Kaley and Edward were dancing around the kitchen as he was blasting a classical music channel while Robby was playing with his Legos by the toy box. Bella motioned for her husband to head back to the bedroom with her and she shut the door, not wanting the kids to hear them. "What's wrong, Bells?"

"Who's Carolyn?" she asked, calmly but succinctly.

He looked at her blankly for a few seconds, then he just looked...annoyed. "Why?"

Bella took the paper and handed it to him. "You tell me."

"Bells, it's not what it looks like."

"Then what is _it_?"

"She's a _therapist_. Emmett recommended her, apparently I'm not the only one with problems dealing with my job. I guess this woman works with trauma victims and he thought that Robby would need someone and while I made him an appointment, I could make one for myself."

"You're going to start counseling?" Bella asked, a look of pure excitement on her face.

"I have to. I should have a long time ago and I didn't. It's time."

"Oh, Edward," she pulled him into a hug. "I've been hoping you'd agree to go. I mentioned it to Rosalie a couple of times but we both didn't want to push you..."

He didn't hug her back, just kind of stood there. "Bella, did you really think I would have hooked up with someone else?"

She stood back and looked up at him. She thought of the way he was with Kaley, the way he was with her, his unceasing sexual appetite, his anger towards Tyler... "No. I'm sorry. I had to ask, though."

"It's fine," he said, putting his hand on her waist. "I would never have done that to you. To us."

Robby sat in the church pew throughout the service, taking in everything around him. They sat in the back so he didn't feel crowded. On their way out, the priest said hello to the congregation's newest member and told them to call if they needed anything. The little boy fell in love with Alice the second he saw her, just like everyone else. Unlike his hesitancy towards Emmett, he didn't seem to mind Jasper and even let Jasper help him put pool floaties on. Being that he always bathed himself, not even his foster parents had seen him without a shirt on very often. It was hard for everyone—except Kaley who wasn't really paying attention—to see the scars that covered the little boys back. To Jasper and Alice's credit, they never let on that they saw them, even as Edward helped him slather himself in sunscreen. Bella couldn't believe how pale he was.

The swimming situation concerned Edward and Bella both. If he was too afraid, they didn't want him to panic and slip out of the floaties. If he was too brave, they didn't want him trying to swim on his own. Edward stayed with him the entire time while Bella pulled Kaley around on a big inner tube. Edward watched his wife with his daughter, she wore a deep purple bikini and he knew that she knew it was driving him crazy. It seemed tighter to him then it had been last year and that information was going right to his balls. "Edward, I want to go on their," Robby surprised him by saying, pulling his gaze away from Bella, and over to the diving board that Jasper had just jumped off of.

"Uh...why don't we wait a while before you do that, buddy. You don't know how to swim and the water is really deep over there."

Robby didn't respond, just splashed the water around with his hands. Robby wasn't one to take risks and even the idea of him asking to do something was unlike him. He almost always waited until he was asked if he wanted to do something. Edward felt like an asshole denying the little boy the simple request of jumping into a pool. "I'll make a deal with you. How about we jump together? Will you let me pick you and jump in with you?"

Robby seemed to contemplate this before smiling and nodding his head quickly. "You won't let me go."

The way he said it, it wasn't a child asking for reassurance, it was a child doing the reassuring. "Never. Come on, let's show Bella what we can do."

Edward had hugged him a few times since that day when they'd sat on Robby's new bedroom floor and cried but never did he touch the little boys skin. Robby was scared enough of holding hands, let alone having Edward touch him where he had been beaten so many times. So, he pulled Robby over to the ladder and helped him up, bracing for the fit Robby would throw when Edward picked him up. Instead, Robby ran over to the board, and Edward followed. As the little boy raised his arms to be picked up, he watched Bella's jaw drop. Edward did pick him up then, careful not to hold him too tight, and was surprised to feel Robby grasp him like a lifeline.

"Are you sure you want to go off the board, buddy?"

"Yeah. Look Bella!" Robby cried and Edward just laughed as Bella looked at him and shook her head in disbelief.

Holding tightly to the little boy, he heard Kaley cheering them on. Making his way to the end of the board, Robby wrapped in his arms, he counted out loud to three and jumped. Edward held him above the water, having barely jumped because he didn't want Robby's head to go under. He felt the little boy kicking him and immediately made sure Robby was floating safely and let him go, worried that he'd scared him. Instead, he realized the noises he heard weren't crying or screaming, the little boy was giggling.

When both kids had blue lips and Edward found himself enjoying Bella's hard nipples a little too much, they got dressed and told Alice and Jasper goodbye. During their time there, Edward had watched Bella talk openly about Alice's pregnancy and it gave him hope that maybe things were getting better emotionally for her. She sounded genuinely excited as they talked about the shower, what Renee had said when Bella told her, and even about decorating the nursery.

The last stop of the day was the fire station and he figured no one would be there. Turning to Bella he asked if she wanted to come in with him. Agreeing, she unbuckled Robby and he carried Kaley in. Kaley loved to go down the pole that linked the top floor, where the bathroom, kitchen, and den were, to the bottome. So, while he grabbed the bag that James had left for him, Bella let Kaley play on it as she stood under in case Kaley fell. As he made his way back down, he saw Robby looking at the big fire engine with curiosity and eventually Kaley wandered over to him. "Daddy rides in that."

Robby just looked at her with a smile and then looked back up in wonder. "Robby," Edward asked, do you want to see what it looks like inside?"

He nodded his head and Edward helped him up. He showed him the big hoses, the ladder, the bucket, then took him to where they sat, and showed him where the driver goes. The little boy loved it, holding onto the steering wheel as Kaley put Tyler's oversized helmet on and watched them from the passenger seat. Bella took a picture of the three of them and Robby smiled up at her. "I want to be a fireman."

"When you're older, buddy. Much, much, older," Bella responded, slightly fearful.

"Older like daddy?" Kaley asked.

"Yes, little bug. When he's _old_ like daddy." Bella smirked, knowing Edward would catch what she said.

He shook his head, "You wait, Mrs. Cullen. Five years younger? You'll be the one changing my adult diapers."

"Daddy, you could use my potty chair!" Kaley exclaimed, as if she solved the biggest problem in the world. Bella laughed so hard, she had to hold onto a section of railing to keep from falling down.

"Alright, you three, let's get home. We only have a few more days of school and we don't want to be too tired to go."

**Well, he's been introduced to the family. Hope you all enjoyed the fluffiness...tomorrow dear readers, we will be having a party for our Edward and there may or may not be ;) a nice little lemon. I love that no matter what happens in the story, you're all concerned about Bella getting pregnant...it's rather endearing...however...they are um working on it...lol The next couple of chapters are still pretty lighthearted but hang in there dear drama lovers, there's drama to come. I can't believe all of the reviews I've been getting and am working on another surprise for you. Keep up the review button clicking! Lots of love, Letzy xoxo**


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 42**

The next few weeks were full of adjustments between getting to know Robby and getting used to not being in school. Bella found herself loving the fact that she got to stay home with the kids. Edward was back to work and seeing Dr. Carolyn Kramer. While they of course didn't go together, it made Robby feel better about going knowing that Edward went there too. As he came more and more out of his shell, Bella would watch as something would happen and he'd end up back where they started.

The first time it happened was after he heard the fire alarm go off for the first time and watched Edward run upstairs to get ready. The commotion made him panic and ended in Edward missing the call so he could calm Robby down. Other times it had been over little things, like when he wet the bed one night and they found him hiding in the closet the next morning. Kaley was great with him and Bella and Edward couldn't have been more proud of her. She had taken on the role as big sister like it was her job.

Edward's birthday party was the next day and Bella was over at the Whitlock's. She, Kaley, and Robby were helping Alice decorate when Bella glanced down at her phone and realized she still hadn't heard from Jake. It had been at least a month. What surprised her was how quickly that time had gone by. So, she headed into the kitchen where Alice was putting a meat and cheese tray together. "I'm kind of freaking out, Ally."

"Why? Edward's going to love..."

"I still haven't heard from Jake," Bella cut her off.

Alice set down the knife she'd been using and looked straight ahead, as if contemplating what was just said. "Maybe he's just caught up..."

"It's been over a month," Bella answered quickly.

Alice turned to her then, "Did you talk to Billy?" she asked quietly.

"Not for a couple weeks. He said he'd have Jake call me but I haven't even gotten any letters."

"Call him. Call Billy now and find out if he's heard from Jake. At least if he's heard from him, you know he's alright. You don't think Edward would have..." her voice trailed off, as is she had second thoughts about saying it.

"What, Al? What does Edward have to do with this?"

"Do you think he may have said something to Jake? He doesn't really like him and..."

"No. Edward wouldn't do that. I'm going to go call Billy."

"Bella, hey," Billy said, sounding like there was strain in his voice.

"Have you talked to him?" Bella asked, cutting to the chase.

"Um...look, I don't think we should get ourselves too concerned..."

"Oh, God. You haven't, have you?"

"No." The way Billy said it, defeated and frustrated, made Bella sick to her stomach.

"Is there anyway we could try to call him? I mean this isn't like him and I haven't even gotten a letter in over a month."

"I tried. If he's out there, he's caught up in something...and he has a lot of explaining to do."

"Alright. Please call me if you hear anything at all. I'm worried."

After getting off the phone with Billy, Bella went back into the kitchen to tell Alice what Billy said. "Maybe he really is just busy. I'm sure he's fine. If he wasn't, I mean, they would have said something to Billy by now. Right?"

"I guess so..."

"So, are Clair and Tyler coming?"

"Yeah," Bella groaned, "but Clair wants to bring Matt. I guess the two of them have been talking a lot. It just puts Edward and I in a weird position. Tyler is coming alone."

"Well, I say let them come. They are all big kids now. If Clair wants Matt there and you don't think Edward will mind then I say why not?"

"I did say why not, so I guess all three of them are coming. I told Ty that, too. I got his reaction before agreeing to let Clair bring Matt. I feel for Ty but Matt's a great guy and Clair deserves someone who is actually sweet to her. I guess Matt went to one of her appointments with her..."

"But who's to say Tyler wouldn't have stepped up? She never gave him the chance to redeem himself."

"I don't know, Ally. The last thing I want to do is be pulled into the middle of all of this."

That night, lying in bed with Edward, Bella held tightly to the two arms wrapped around her. "I love you, baby."

"Mm...I love you, too," he breathed, kissing the side of her neck. She could feel his hardness pressing into her back and couldn't help but wiggle her bottom, knowingly teasing him. "You really shouldn't do that, Isabella..."

She squealed, loving when he called her that during sex, loving the way it rolled off of his tongue. "Why not?" she asked in a small breathless voice.

"Because we've been at it for two hours now..." he hinted playfully.

"Nah..." she giggled, turning onto her side to face him.

"You're going to give this old man a heart attack."

"Yeah, my thirty year old man...that's just _so_ old...you better quit getting your young, sexy, twenty five year old wife worked up or she might put you in an early grave..."

"It's not my fault my young, insatiable wife has been ridiculously horny lately."

Bella glanced over at the bedside table. "Hey, it's twelve oh one. Happy thirtieth, baby."

"Mmm...you know, these past few years have been the best of my life."

"Ditto. I couldn't imagine life without you..."

"I handled life without you...something I never want to do again."

They became quiet then, Bella giving him some recuperation time and just enjoying the view instead of groping it. He was going to love his surprise tomorrow, especially the white bikini with little cherries all over it that she would be wearing to the big surprise. The party reminded her, "Hey, have you spoken to Tyler lately?"

"Yeah," Edward sighed, "he's pretty messed up over the whole situation."

"Do you think he'd be civil to her if Clair brought Matt around him?" Bella pried, wanting to see what he thought of the three of them in the same room.

"Um, probably. It seems he just wants to be a part of her life. He'll do anything at this point to be able to make things work if for no other reason than to see his baby. It's hard knowing that you're missing out on those first few months and you really have no right being there."

"How are you and Tyler?" Bella asked hesitantly, knowing Edward was really upset with him for doing what he did.

"We're fine. I know it's really none of my business what he does...or _who_ he does..." Edward rolled his eyes, making Bella laugh, "but it just hits a nerve with me, ya know. There's no reason to do that to someone. Just leave them. Say you want to break up and walk away before you fuck someone you barely know. I mean, look at us, three years and we're better sexually then we've ever been—not that we were ever lacking..."

"That's not really the norm, though, Edward. Sometimes, the passion dies away..."

"Not with us, though. It won't happen. I won't let it. You are my wife and I'm going to make sure I keep you satisfied."

Bella watched his face, looking for any sign that he was thinking about his previous marriage. It also dawned on her that she never asked Linda and Eleazer to come to the party. Over the last few years, they've come to things for Kaley, like her parties and things. She felt slightly guilty, having been really reluctant to let them see her after the first time, but even she couldn't help but have a soft spot for them. It was Tanya that she hated, Tanya who she wanted to kill for all the pain she caused Kaley...and for the pain she caused Edward, though she hated her almost equally for the pleasure she probably brought to him just as well. That haunted her constantly, the way he was with her, was this how he had been with Tanya? "Edward?"

"Yeah, baby," he asked, stroking her hair with two fingers.

"Did you and Tanya...I mean were you...intimate...a lot?"

"Bella, I don't want to talk about this. Not here in our bed. It doesn't matter. I can't bring myself to regret marrying her because I wouldn't have gotten Kaley but even when I was with her, I knew I wasn't truly happy...or satisfied. You are my wife and my lover and my everything. No one will ever take that away."

"Good answer," laughed Bella. "Now get over here, you old man."

The next day, everything was ready and she had even put in a quick call to Tanya's parents, they were on vacation. Though they couldn't come, they did ask if they could visit when they got home, apparently, they had found a boogie board that was 'too cute' that they had to buy their granddaughter. The arrangements were made to meet with them before the beach trip next week that the department was planning, the trip they just today decided on.

"Where's Edward going?" Robby asked when he got into Emmett's big truck around noon that day.

"He'll be back, honey. He's just going with Uncle Emmett to hit some golf balls." Bella smiled as Robby nodded his head in understanding and headed back to his bedroom—the little boy had no idea that Edward had snuck out like that, without saying goodbye, because Edward didn't want to upset Robby by not taking him. The two had definitely grown on each other...it was just too hot for Robby to be out on the golf course with them, plus the fact she knew Em and Edward would be drinking.

That morning, after what felt like a whole night of birthday sex, they'd gotten up early and showered together before going out and cooking breakfast. Kaley woke up around eight and ran to Edward, telling him happy birthday and handing him the home made card she made him. Robby was next, giving Edward a piece of paper. Bella couldn't see what it said until after Edward brought his hands to his mouth and dropped it on the counter. "Come here, buddy," Edward said, picking the boy up and kissing his cheek.

Bella's heart clenched when she saw the picture. There were four people and above each in Robby's little scrawl were names. It started with 'Roby', then there was 'Kaly', then the two that brought her tears-'momy' and 'dady'. They had been tiptoeing around the topic as to what he should call them because they weren't sure if this was all for the long-term or not. Besides, he had very bad experiences with his own parents and didn't seem too rushed to call Edward or Bella by those names. Apparently, he was ready, the real question was were they?

When Edward got off the phone with Emmett, saying Emmett decided he wanted to go golfing—something Bella had planned, she told him to go have fun and that she was just going to go over to Ally's then for some girl time. She also promised to give him his gift from her later on. When they were gone, she went back to set out the kid's swimming clothes and packing dry clothes away for after they were out of the pool. When she had beach bags packed and the kids loaded into the car, they headed to the Whitlocks. Jasper had put out snack tables and Esme was already there with the cake. It was perfect, pictures had been screened onto it of Edward at all ages...from three months up to thirty years. There were veggie trays, cheese trays, chips, pretzels, plenty of alcohol, and a whole tub of juice drinks for the kids—as well as sparkling cider for those who were expecting.

Bella grabbed a wine cooler and headed into the house, it was hot enough that even her white lace cover-up was sticking to her. Jasper gave her a hug hello and Alice about knocked her over. "He's going to be so excited! I can't wait til he gets here!"

"Well, it'll be a little while, he just left with Emmett about an hour ago. I told Em to only do nine holes but you know they'll have to stop at the bar after or Edward would suspect something was up."

"Rose and Lily are on their way and Carlisle is supposed to be off work in a half hour. Where are the kids?"

"With Esme outside."

"So, have you thought about the beach trip? It's already next week. I really, really wish you could go."

"So far the plan is to go. I'm going get Edward to talk to Rose about it tonight. Robby's doing great, Al. He's happy, I mean not as happy as he should be, but I just like seeing him smile. He's come so far in a few short weeks. If things continue the way they are, we'll all have a good time. I want Robby to have as many experiences as he can and going to the beach would be a big one."

"Let's go upstairs so I can get changed. I was putting off the bathing suit situation until you got here...you have to tell me how hideous I look..."

Bella frowned at her best friend, someone who was never self conscious before, and followed her up to the massive walk in closet. "Al, seriously, it's like a law of nature. Every year you need a size bigger bathing suit. I had to buy new ones this year myself. You at least have an excuse."

"Still, I'm not just gaining in my belly like I was hoping. It's like, everywhere. Even my face is chubby..."

"Al, shut up. You don't even look different to me. You're not that far along and have always been skinnier than me."

"Fine. I'll put the suit on but you have to take off your cover up, Miss Self-Conscious," Alice challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Bella just smirked, after being with Edward, who made her feel nothing less than amazing, she grabbed the bottom and pulled the shirt over her head. "There. Now...get your ass into that suit so we can go enjoy the pool you two spent an arm and a leg on."

Alice laughed and headed for the bathroom, "I should have spent my butt on it. Then I wouldn't have any problems..." causing Bella to burst into hysterics.

Turning to look at herself in the full length mirror, Bella couldn't wait to show off for Edward. Since school let out, she'd been eating what the kids ate. Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, french fries—far stretches from the salads she ate in her room during lunch time at school. If Edward noticed anything about her body, he hadn't breathed a word to her about it. Hopefully Jasper hadn't said anything to make Alice feel bad about herself, though Bella doubted Jasper would ever do such a thing...it was clear that he was head over heels for his wife. Alice came out and Bella shook her head. "You look no different! Come on, let's go back downstairs."

Over time, people began to arrive and Bella helped Alice carry things out to the tables. Tyler was out back talking to Jasper and Esme when they went to join them. Jasper smiled when he saw Alice in her leopard print tankini and Bella had to give Tyler credit for at least pretending to not be checking her out in her cherry-suited outfit. When she was shopping for her own suits, she found a cute yellow one for Kaley and then spotted the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. There were trunks that were dark blue with a bright green Hawaiin flower on the side. That wasn't the adorable factor though—they were the exact same trunks as Edward had but Robby-sized.

Lily came running through the fence, then, about tackling Kaley. Bella shook her head, thinking that they were going to be the next Bella and Alice. Bella couldn't help but blanch a little at Rose's little outfit. The girl was perfection. Toned legs and arms, huge boobs, perfect hips, and long, blonde hair. The girl looked like she should be a cheerleader. She glanced over to see if Tyler was drooling and found his gazed locked on the front of the house. Turning, Bella saw what he was looking at, Clair had arrived with Matt. Unlike Alice who was barely showing, Clair had what had to have been the most perfect baby bump in front of her. Bella could tell from Matt's expression that he was only there because Clair had asked him to come.

"Hey, Clair!" Bella greeted, pulling her in for a hug, and trying to break the tension. "How's the baby?"

"Good. He or she is doing very well. I just had an appointment two weeks ago and got to hear the heartbeat."

Bella saw Tyler walk away out of the corner of her eye, her heart went out to him, despite what he did to cause the problems between him and Clair. She was just about to ask how Matt was when they heard Emmett's truck pull up. As they made their way to the back of the house, Bella braced herself, anticipation all over her face for Edward's arrival. Kaley ran for him, yelling happy birthday and when he carried her around the corner, everyone yelled surprise. The look on his face was enough to make Bella want to jump his bones, he looked so happy and surprised.

With Kaley still in one arm, he wrapped Bella in the other one, "How long did you guys plan this?" he asked incredulously.

"Long enough that you almost caught on a few times. Happy Birthday, old man," she said, kissing him and backing away so other people had a chance to say hello to the birthday boy. She watched him give his mom a hug but then instead of saying hello to Rose, who she figured would be next on the list of importance, he crouched down and held his arms out to Robby.

Alice had thought of everything, even the bug repelling Tiki torches and stringing white lights around the fence and in the trees for when it got dark. Clair and Matt didn't stay very long, just long enough to eat and visit for a little while—which was probably good because Tyler was getting pretty trashed and she knew Edward was keeping a close watch on the situation. He was also keeping a very good watch on her. As she suspected, he loved the bikini and at one point she literally caught him looking her up and down...if he kept it up (literally) there were going to be problems for him when he had to get out of the pool.

Towards the end of the night, Bella joined Edward and Rosalie, who were sitting in lounge chairs at a quieter end of the yard. "Hey, you ready to head home?" Bella asked. "Ally is getting tired and James just left to take Tyler home. What do you say?"

"Yeah. Whenever you're ready. This was amazing, by the way, Rose said you planned it on your own..."

"It's really not that big of a deal. They helped more than I planned."

"Well, guys, you can pick your kiddos up tomorrow, we're beat," Esme said, coming up behind her.

"Wait, what?" Edward asked, sitting up straighter.

"That's your surprise from me," Bella smiled. "Your mom and dad are taking Kaley and Robby for the night."

"I don't know, Bella. I love the idea...believe me I do...but I don't know about leaving Robby all night..."

"Bella already voiced that concern and we promise we will call if he starts getting agitated. Enjoy your birthday with your wife and if we need you, we'll let you know. Robby's been over to visit a good many times and Kaley will be with him. I'm sure it'll be fine."

After reassuring Edward a thousand times that Robby would be alright for one night, they drove home alone. It was the first time in a long time that they didn't have the kids with them and her entire body seemed to be excited for what she knew was to come. They didn't even make it through the door before Edward lifted her cover-up over her head and carried her to the back over the house, away from the road. It was dark enough that no one could see them and he brought his hands down to grab her breasts as he pushed her against the cement foundation. "You are seriously the most beautiful woman..." he cut himself off by licking along the bikini top that was covering her chest.

She could feel her bottoms getting wet and bit down on her lip as his hands rubbed up and down her bare abs. "So you like the new suit?"

"Fuck..." he grunted as he knelt in front of her, sliding the small piece of fabric to the side and letting his tongue glide over her clit. Pulling away briefly, he smirked, "White and cherries? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you know how hard it was for me to keep calm at that party? My mother was there, Bella. I shouldn't have been thinking about these things in front of her..."

Bella laughed but then gasped as his mouth took her again. Pleasure pulsed through her as realized her body was already tightening in that way... "I'm going to come..."

"Not yet," he said pulling away and turning her to face the wall. He ran his hands down her ribs and over her love handles, bringing each hand to come to rest on a cheek. He slapped her butt, not hard, but enough to make her even wetter. Despite the bottoms, she could still feel wetness run down her thighs. "Are we liking that, my little twenty five year old?"

"Oh, God," Bella groaned as he smacked her a little harder than the last time before inserting a finger and feeling how much she was ready for him. It started out that he pulled her panties down and lined himself up behind her. Pushing in, he got her to cry out in pleasure as he grasped her ass and slid into her slick folds. Soon, she realized he was pulling her into a sitting position with him, her back still to him, and him still deep inside of her. She rode him there before he lifted her off of him—much to her protests—and laid her on her stomach in the grass. He restarted his assault as she writhed underneath him, this was definitely a session to remember. As she dry grass scraped against her nipples, her fingers dug into the dirt. She was losing control and when Edward bit down on her shoulder, she came. Hard.

He pulled out gently, rolling onto his back as she did the same. "Why do I feel like we just did something that we should be feeling guilty about," Bella asked in amusement.

"What? Worried your parents are going to find and ground us?" he asked playfully.

"Yup."

Edward just shook his head and looked up at the stars. "Best birthday ever."

**Hope you enjoyed that...I sure did ;) I'm not sure how many more chapters there are to this story, but I'll do my best to keep you updated on that situation. I love all of your reviews! Each and every one makes me smile! We're headed to the beach next, lovelies...and it's a two parter ;) LP xxooxxoo **


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 43**

**The Beach Part I**

"Kaley! Where did you put your other flip-flop? Sweetie, mommy needs it to pack for the beach!"

"Daddy has it!"

"Why would _daddy _have your flip flop?" Bella asked, in utter confusion and slight annoyance.

"I threw it at Lily when he was driving and he got mad. So, he took it," shrugged Kaley.

"Dear Lord," Bella muttered under her breath.

She found her husband in Robby's room, reading the little boy stories. "Where's your daughter's pink flip-flop?"

"On the front seat of the Jeep. I'll go get it."

"Wait. I'll go. I have to get Kaley's boogie board from the shed anyway..."

"Bella?" he asked, obviously seeing that she wanted to scream.

"What?" she practically did.

"Why don't you sit down? You're face is red and you look like you're about to cry. We've spent the whole day packing, the Volvo is loaded up and ready to go. We aren't leaving until noon tomorrow..."

"I just have to get Kaley's outfit ready for tomorrow and get her boogie board so we don't forget it."

He sighed, "Let me do it. Go take a bath and relax, you look exhausted."

"I need to clean up the kitchen and start dinner..."

"No. You don't. I'm ordering pizza and I will take care of the kitchen—after I get the flip flop and the board."

"Alright, I'm just going to dust the living room..." she said, turning to leave as Edward rolled his eyes. As she made her way to the get her dusting supplies, she heard the phone ringing but Edward got to it first.

"Yeah, she is. What? Okay, hold on, she's right here," Edward handed her the phone and mouthed 'it's Billy."

"Billy?" Bella asked, a sinking feeling hitting her stomach.

"He's fine. Don't panic. His unit ran into a little trouble and he was hurt but not badly. They're sending him home now."

Jake getting hurt was her worst fear since he told her about joining. Now, her suspicions were confirmed. "How bad, Billy?"

"Apparently, he was hit in the leg with shrapnel. They were ambushed and didn't have power for awhile there. He's at a military hospital over there but they're bringing him back home. When he talked to me, I don't know, he just seemed angry. Not himself. I'm concerned for him."

"Well, at least we know he's safe now. I know a few people that have gone over there and come back with their head messed up. I'm sure he'll be better once he's home. Can you have him call me? Please?"

"Yeah. I told him to call you when I spoke with him last night. He didn't say one way or the other but I assumed he would. He asked about you."

"Alright, Billy. If you need anything, call my cell, we're leaving for the beach tomorrow."

"Have fun, kiddo."

"Thanks. Tell everyone back home I said hi."

Ending the call, Bella leaned back against the counter, trying not to cry for Jake in front of Edward. She wasn't stupid, she knew he didn't like the guy, and didn't want to make him anymore jealous than he already was. "So, how bad is it?" Edward asked, quietly, obviously he was told by Billy before he gave the phone to her.

"I don't know. Billy said it was just shrapnel in the leg..." Bella said with a shaking voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..." she said, pushing away from the counter to grab her dusting cloth.

"No. You're not," he stated, pulling her back. "Come on, I'm running you a bath and you're going to do nothing but relax, eat some pizza, and go to bed early with me."

That plan went well until about midnight when the phone rang and woke them from a deep sleep. "Hello?" Bella asked groggily.

"Bells?"

"Jake!" Bella bolted up in bed, "Jake, thank God! I've been like freaking out. Are you okay? What happened? Where are you now?"

"Calm down, Bella. I'm fine. We kind of got blind sided and then we were too secluded for me to get the chance to contact home. I've been meaning to call but it's just been kind of crazy. How are you?"

"How am I? Seriously? You get attacked in Kuwait and you're asking me if I'm okay?" Bella said, a little more quietly now, as she pulled the covers off and went out of the room to talk to him.

"I just got some metal in my leg. That's it. It's being removed tomorrow. I just got to the hospital here in Seattle. How is everything? Everyone?"

"Awesome, actually. Ally's having a baby and we're fostering a little boy. He was one of Edward's clients whose parents ended up dying. You have to visit when you're better. Actually, we should come to you, my parents haven't officially met Robby yet either."

"Are you two still trying..." Jake's voice trailed off and she knew what he was asking. She had written about it many times over the year.

"No. Well, yeah. I guess. I kind of gave up for a little while. My hands are full already and I'm loving having Robby and Kaley both here."

"How's my little princess?"

"She's happy and well. I think she loves having Robby here as much as we do. He gives her someone to play with."

"How's the husband?"

"He's good. He loves this new career and he's awesome with helping take care of the kids. It's nice having summers off right now."

"Alright, well, tell him I said hi and give Ally a kiss for me...wish I could be there to see that..."

"Shut up!" Bella laughed.

"I have to get going, the nurse is giving me evil looks. I'll give you a call in a couple of days."

"Let me know how the surgery goes."

"I will."

"And Jake?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

After hearing from Jake, Bella seemed to finally calm down a little. Edward noticed that she had been acting strange lately, super obsessive compulsive and it worried him. Every room had to be picked up and spotless or else he couldn't get her into bed at night. The next day, though, was something he had been looking forward to. With kids, coolers, and suitcases, they really had no choice but to take a bunch of vehicles. They had the Volvo, Emmett was driving Rose's Escape, Esme and Carlisle were taking their car and Jasper and Alice were riding down with them, Tyler was going solo in his new Mustang, and James and Clair were riding down in James's car.

They all decided to meet at Alice and Jasper's since it was closest to the edge of town they'd be leaving from and the two of them needed picked up anyway. Bella seemed relaxed today and Edward was grateful. It was beautiful out, blue skies, and she wore sunglasses that covered pretty much her whole face. She was adorable and the thought of the cherry bikini—which was no doubt packed away in the trunk—came to mind.

"Are we there yet?" Kaley asked when they were only an hour out of Forks.

"No, little bug. Do you want to watch a movie? Robby, what about you?" Bella asked, turning in her seat to help them with their little portable dvd players Edward had bought specifically for the long trip. When both movies were playing and the kids had their headphones on, Edward took his chance to pinch her butt—which was sticking up above the console while she was reaching into the back.

"Would you behave! We're going to have a week of you seeing me in a bikini..." she said, turning around to face him.

"Thank God..."

"Edward," Bella said, giving him a warning glare. He ran his hand up her thigh and placed his hand heavily on the inside. "Stop. The kids are in the back."

"Fine," he said but not before he brushed her mound with this thumb.

She smacked his arm playfully and began messing with the radio. The ride was a pleasant one, the group of them trying to stay together. Emmett was in front of him, the rest were behind with James bringing up the rear. Tyler was the only one who didn't seem to stay with them, he blew past them a few times, always to end up back behind them again. Edward just shook his head each time, "Show off," he laughed.

They reached their beach house right before the sun was going down, after stopping for dinner on the way there. The kids were restless, the adults were tired, and the cars were out of gas. Bella didn't want the kids down by the water, especially Robby, in the dark so they decided to unpack everything and get settled in, promising Kaley they'd go in the water first thing in the morning. An hour later, rooms had been chosen and everyone was off doing their own thing. Alice and Bella sat at the kitchen table, talking about Jake's phone call from the night before.

"I'm glad he's alright! I didn't want to tell you but I was worried, Bella. It's not like him to not keep in contact with you. It's like his mission in life to protect you."

"He needs to move on, though. I feel bad and I don't think I'm leading him on..."

"You're not and you're right. When he finds someone and settles down those phone calls won't be so awkward. The army gave him an out..."

"Great. So it's my fault he got hurt..."

"Okay. Snippy, much?" Alice asked, surprised by her friends crankiness.

"Sorry, Al. I think it's past my bedtime or something...where are the guys?" Bella asked, looking around confused.

"The kids are asleep so I'm figuring they're probably downstairs playing pool, getting their drink on, and bitching about us."

Bella laughed and looked over to the living room where Rosalie and Esme were as Esme said, "I'm going to crash. Let me know if anyone needs anything...and send my husband up when he's done pretending to be as old as his son."

"Will do, night mom!" the girls all said.

Shortly after, Emmett came upstairs with Jasper and Tyler at his heals. "I think we need to have a fire on the beach. The kids are asleep and Carlisle said he would stay in in case they wake up."

"Sounds fun!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up and pulling Bella with her.

Bella ran up and found Clair on the phone—probably with Matt, "Hey, we're all going out onto the beach. Wanna come?" she asked her.

"Yeah. I'll be down in a minute," she said absently.

Shortly after, they were all sitting in the sand around the fire Tyler and James had thrown together. Edward pulled Bella onto his lap and nibbled on her ear. "Would you two get a room?" Emmett laughed, shaking his head.

Rosalie smacked him, "I think it's sweet..."

"You never do that stuff with me," Emmett stated, feigning hurt, "at least not since you were pregnant...I couldn't get you off of me..."

"Emmett McCarty!" Rosalie scolded, obviously embarrassed as James just shook his head and Tyler glanced over at Clair. Bella felt Edward, he was tense, and she looked at him, confused.

"Well...we have two pregnant women here tonight...ladies? Are you feeling sexually charged because you're pregnant?" Emmett asked, as if trying to prove to Rose that it was normal.

The reactions were so mixed in the small circle that all Bella could do was watch, completely amused. Alice was laughing so hard, Bella thought she was going to pee herself and Jasper was in hysterics. Rose was trying to tackle Emmett to the ground. James was pretending to not be a part of the conversation at all. Clair and Tyler were the hardest to watch. Tyler stared at her intently before saying just loudly enough for people who weren't laughing to hear it. "Yeah, Clair, how does it feel being pregnant with my baby?"

Everyone who heard shifted nervously and Edward's arms tightened around Bella. To Clair's credit, she didn't let him get to her. "If you're referring to whether or not I want to jump every guy I see, then no."

"Why? You have your perfect little teacher friend who's a kid-friendly person, who's always wanted a wife and baby and white fucking picket fence..."

"Tyler..." James started, about to tell him to calm down when Clair stood up.

"Don't worry, Uncle James. Tyler, I can at least use being pregnant as an excuse to have sex, you don't have one. You're just an asshole. I'll also have you know that Matt and I were never...like that...together and now we'll never be like that together because we aren't together anymore."

She headed towards the house and Bella pried herself from Edward's grip. "Clair! Wait!" Alice followed and the three of them kept walking into the house together.

"I'm going home. I'll get a rental..."

"No. We _want_ you here. He _did_ this, Clair! Don't give him the benefit..."

"Listen, Bella, you don't get it. You have Edward. He's perfect. He's the perfect father, the perfect husband...Tyler isn't someone who I want around my baby!"

"Clair, honey, it's his baby, too," Bella said gently. "Have you two even sat down to talk since everything happened?"

"No. I don't want to."

"You don't want to or you can't? You still love him. I know you do."

Throwing a pillow because that was what was in reach was exactly what Clair did. "Dammit! I do. I know I do, okay? I'm just not acting on it because he's only going to hurt me again..."

While her friend was in tears, Bella felt like a total bitch but couldn't help her laughter. "Why the hell are you laughing, Bells?" Alice asked, confused and annoyed.

"Clair, you just threw a pillow..."

Clair joined in the laughter, plopping down on the couch. "God, I'm so pathetic. No wonder he cheated..."

"No. Stop." Bella said, controlling herself and getting serious again. "I think it might be time for bed. For all of us. I'm exhausted so I can only imagine how the two of you feel..."

Clair stood back up again. "Good idea...do you hear that?" she asked, walking over to the balcony.

Alice walked over and pulled the curtain back, stepping out to look over. "Oh my God! What the hell are they doing?"

Edward watched Bella walk away, though he was reluctant to let her go, a thought had just been planted in his mind and he couldn't get it to stop growing. He knew there was currently another situation at hand and forced himself to focus. Tyler Crowley had been a close friend for a long time but the guy had the attitude of a complete bastard. He put up with him, never really having an issue with the guy personally. That was until at the hospital when he was rude towards Bella and admitted to cheating on his pregnant girlfriend. He acted like things were fine, like the guy didn't bother him, but it was lies and he knew it. Then, of course, tonight of all nights, the fucker had to make a comment about Rosalie.

The girls had just left, leaving Rose as the only female present. It was obvious Tyler was drunk and looking for a girl to use as a scapegoat to take the heat for the girl he was truly pissed at—and the other girls for defending her. "Quit fucking staring at me, everyone. You all act like you're so damn high and mighty. McCarty, your girl is nothing but a cheating whore herself!"

Edward immediately became pissed. In high school, guys and girls alike said things about Rosalie because she was so pretty. They were jealous and because she had gone through a lot in middle school, she was a bit of a loner. The popular crowd ate her alive, constantly saying the things Tyler just had to her. He protected her against it then and he sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone say shit about her now. "Tyler. Stop."

Rosalie looked like she was in shock and Emmett looked as angry as Edward was. "Fuck you, Cullen. Your Bella is eventually going to realize you can't knock her up and God I hope when she comes to her senses, she finds me. That tight little body of hers..." That was all it took. Edward lunged forward, knocking Tyler backwards, and bringing his fist up. James grabbed him before he could connect Tyler's face with his knuckle and he heard Rosalie screaming for him to stop.

He felt arms come around him, pulling him off the guy, and spun around to come face to face with Emmett. Rosalie ran over to them, "Edward, please, just let it go. He's really drunk. He didn't mean what he said about Bella or about me. Calm down. Let's go for a walk..."

"What about you, McCarty? Not man enough to stand up to me, just like you aren't man enough to satisfy your whore?"

Emmett, for as big as he was, remained calm and spat back in an attempt to reason with the very drunk man, "You're just pissed off because Clair was dating another man..."

"Another man who is more of a man than you'll ever be!" Edward shouted the interruption and Rosalie grabbing his chest to pull him back again just as he shook her off.

"Oh, fuck you, Cullen! You _are_ the other man!" With that, Edward watched his friend completely lose it. Grabbing Tyler by the shirt collar, Emmett pulled him up and clocked him. Edward stood between Emmett and Rosalie, in case Emmett wasn't calm enough yet to be around Rose. He heard Alice yelling and running with Clair on her heels.

"Keep Clair in the house!" he yelled, not wanting Clair to see what happened and definitely not wanting her around in case Emmett hadn't hit him hard enough to render him unconscious—though that was pretty unlikely. Of course, neither of the girls listened and Jasper pulled Alice away from Edward and Emmett both. James was just watching them like they were all crazy.

"Edward," Alice said, panting, "Robby saw you. He must have heard the yelling to..."

Edward took off for the house, not really caring about anything else that could happen with Tyler Crowley. He sprinted across the sand and barely took the time to open the front door before barreling through it. He found Bella in the living room with Robby wrapped around her as she hugged him to her. "Shh.." Bella was trying to get him to calm down.

Edward dropped to his knees beside them, "Robby? Buddy?"

The little boy looked away from him, Edward knew he was having a panic attack, and without thinking, reached for him. "No!" the little boy screamed and Bella yelled to Edward, "Just go. Let me calm him down! Go check on Kaley. Her and Lily are up, too. Your mom and dad are with them!"

Bella eventually got Robby to calm down but ended up falling asleep with him on the couch, Kaley and Lily were tucked back in and Edward ended up sleeping on the floor between the girls's twin beds. He had explained to Esme and Carlisle what happened and Carlisle went to go check on the number Emmett had done to Tyler's face. Tyler eventually woke up and Carlisle checked him over, recommending that they take him to the hospital. Tyler himself refused so James drove with him to a nearby hotel as Clair slept by herself. Jasper and Alice seemed to be the only two who weren't torn apart by the whole ordeal, even Emmett and Rosalie were pissed off at each other.

The next morning, he felt Bella press her body against his, trying to squeeze herself in beside him on the floor. "Why don't you come try to talk to Robby? I gave him a watered down version of what happened last night and just said that you were trying to protect his Aunt Rose. He's not going to trust Tyler, though. Ever. That bridge was burnt..."

"I'm sorry. I never should have reacted that way."

"What did he say exactly? I mean, Rosalie said he called her a whore but then he said something about me and you flipped. What did he say, Edward?"

"Don't worry about it. Just promise me you'll stay away from him."

"Alright, fine. Just go talk to Robby. I don't want some testosterone-fueled fight to break his trust with you."

Edward found the little boy sitting in the corner of the living room by himself. He wasn't really playing, it was more like he was still half asleep...or thinking...very deeply. "Robby?" Edward said gently, sitting down next to him. The fear in Robby's eyes broke his heart. There was one thing he could say that would fix this or break it worse and he hadn't really discussed it with Bella. He knew, though, that the words were coming. "I love you, buddy. I love you so, so much. I would never hurt you or Kaley or Bella. I love you all. Uncle Tyler was not a very nice man last night. I won't ever hurt you like that. Ever. I'm right here, buddy. Daddy's right here."

"Daddy?" Robby asked, looking at him, hesitance glazing his features.

"Yeah, Robby. That's me."

**The second part will be up tomorrow. It's one you definitely don't want to miss ;) Thank you for the kind reviews! LP xx**


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 44**

**The Beach Part II**

Bella watched Edward try to teach Robby how to play dominoes while she and Esme cooked a brunch for everyone. Kaley and Lily already had on swimsuits, begging to go down to the water, and were told they had to wait until everyone ate first. While there was obvious tension between the adults over what happened the night before, Robby was the only one who seemed phased by it this morning. Having slept with Robby wrapped around her on the couch, Bella's back was killing her as she bent down to pick up a piece of food that had fallen on the floor.

"Bells, are you okay?" Esme asked, rubbing her arm. Edward looked up then, carefully watching from his seat on the floor.

"I'm fine. Just slept funny."

Alice came in a few minutes later, keys to the Volvo in hand. "Hey, I'm going to run to the store. Edward said I could take your beast. Does anyone need anything?"

"No. We're pretty good here. What did you forget?" Esme asked, curiously.

"My contact case. Yeah, I want to go get one so that I have it for tonight...before I forget..."

She skipped out of the house but moments later, the entire atmosphere changed. Emmett and Rosalie had gone for a walk, needing to talk out what happened the night before and just as they came back, so did James and Tyler. Tyler looked like shit, dressed in the same outfit from the night before—complete with a little blood on this shirt—and a pair of sunglasses, no doubt covering the shiner he'd gotten compliments of Emmett. "We don't want any trouble," Carlisle started, gesturing to the three kids.

"I know. Edward, Emmett, Rose, I'm sorry," Tyler began. "I was angry and I never should have said what I did. I'm glad you punched me, Em. I would have done the same thing."

"You owe one more apology," Emmett said, looking over at Bella.

"Bells, I would never try to come between you and Edward. I'm really sorry. I'm going back home..."

"No. You paid your part to be here..." Rosalie said.

"I want to talk to Clair. If it's not okay with her, then I'll leave."

"Tyler, I'm telling you right now, I have a little boy here who has dealt with more violence than all of us in this room put together. If you stay, you don't drink the rest of the trip. I won't put my family in that position. Also, you stay away from my wife. Got it?" Edward demanded.

Bella wondered for the hundredth time what the hell had been said and just then, Clair came down the steps. "Tyler..." she said, totally surprised.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Not alone," James warned, obviously worried about his niece.

"Whatever," Clair said.

As soon as Tyler walked out the door with Clair and James, Alice came in. Her smiling face turned to one of concern when she saw that everyone was standing around awkwardly. "I'm going to go check on Robby. I'll be right back," Bella said, heading back towards the little boy's bedroom. Shortly after, Edward came in.

"Hey, buddy. You okay?"

Robby nodded yes as he picked at the pull-string on his swim trunks. "Can we go in the water yet?"

"As soon as we eat breakfast and the adults are ready to go."

They saw that he was okay, coloring in a coloring book and Edward whispered to Bella, "Come to our room with me."

"I need to go help your mom with breakfast, I don't have time for that right now," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I have something to ask you, please. It'll only take a second..."

"Fine," she groaned, "let's go."

When they were in the bedroom and the door was shut, he handed her a white bag off of the dresser. All smiles, he said, "We haven't partaken in our tradition for a little while. What about we try again..."

"No," Bella looked down in horror, "Edward, please don't do this to me on vacation. You know, it's been months now and I'm trying not to dwell on it..."

"Just take the test..."

"No! God, you really don't get it, do you? I'm not pregnant!" Bella couldn't believe he was pushing this on her. Now, of all times, when they were on vacation and supposed to be relaxing and being happy and he wanted to bring all of this back up. All the time over the past few months, he's been acting like if it happened it happened and if it didn't it didn't. She wondered if he was really as okay with it as he acted. She was even angry with Alice, why would she do that? Why would she go along with it? _Contact case my ass, _Bella thought.

"Bella, could you grab the bacon...are you okay, honey?" Esme stopped what she was doing and handed her a tissue from the counter. Feeling her cheek, Bella realized she'd been crying.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll get the bacon," Bella said, ignoring her mother-in-law's question.

After breakfast was had and sunscreen was slathered, they all headed down to the beach. Kaley sprinted down to the water immediately and Edward ran down after her, "Careful, Kaley!" he yelled, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back. Robby just stared at the water, afraid to go in, and Bella took his hand, moving him closer to where Edward and Kaley were already playing in the waves. "It's okay, buddy." Edward urged, waving him over to where it was waist deep for Kaley.

"Edward, please be careful with them!" Bella called over.

Kaley was completely at home in the water and Edward showed her how to jump the waves. Bella had the white cherry bikini on with her white cover up, sunglasses and hat. Her husband was wearing nothing but swimming trunks and his hair was already dripping wet. "Edward! Take Robby!" she yelled as the little boy was trying to push his way towards them. Edward grabbed Robby's hand so that he had him in one hand and Kaley in the other.

She heard Alice scream and turned to see Jasper pick her up and carry her out deeper into the water, kissing her as he went. She watched them, a smile coming to her face. When a wave came up and hit the happy couple, Bella turned away, feeling that she was invading their privacy. Emmett and Rose weren't going at it but stood side by side, each holding one of Lily's hands. Even Carlisle and Esme were wading out into deeper water to join there son and his kids. Bella felt awful. She never should have gotten so upset with him, not only did he want a new baby, he was being patient. The least she could have done was take the test. There was no doubt that she had been bitchy lately and it was seriously not fair to act like that.

She was staring off at the waves when she felt arms wrap around her, "I'm sorry. I never meant to upset you. I just thought..."

Leaning back against Edward, Bella turned her head up to look at him, surprised that she had zoned out that much and didn't notice him. "I'm sorry, too. I just need...time..."

"Say no more. Come out into the water with me and your kids..."

"Speaking of, daddy, did I hear Robby call you that?" Bella asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you first but..."

"It's fine. He's yours, Edward. I mean, look at him, he even imitates your mannerisms. He loves you and he belongs to you and I don't want to lose him, either." Edward didn't say anything to her, just spun her around and crashed his lips to hers. They stood there like that in the water, before he began kissing her neck and picking her up to carry her out deeper. When they were far out past everyone, Bella realized she couldn't touch the bottom and panicked when he let her go. She was a fair swimmer but the ocean had always made her nervous.

Grabbing onto his forearms, she swallowed hard. "I can't stand..."

Edward turned her then so his back was to the ocean and hers was to the shore. His arms locked around her like a cage and she rested her head on his chest after bringing her legs up to wrap around his waist. "I've got you, love. Hold on."

When it seemed that even Edward was getting water-logged, they grabbed the kids and headed to shore. Esme and Carlisle stayed in the water while Emmett and Rosalie sunbathed and Alice and Jasper headed back to the house—something they didn't want to dwell too much on. Surprisingly, Clair was sitting beside Tyler, showing him something and he was smiling widely. "Can we make a sand castle, daddy?" Kaley asked, jumping up and down.

"Yeah. Robby, would you like to help us?" Robby nodded yes in that silent way that only he could. When Robby wanted something, you knew exactly how happy he was about it from his face. He was easy to read and Bella found that she absolutely loved him. They had their son. They had their daughter. Bella resolved for the final time that when they got back to Forks, she'd see the doctor, find out what the problem was with her reproductive abilities, and move on.

While her family played in the sand, Bella made her way back to the house, needing a break from the sun. She went upstairs to the bedroom, the one she missed out on sleeping with Edward in the first night and vowed the upcoming night would be different. Whatever Tyler had said to him must have been bad, Edward was really upset about it. It slightly pissed her off that he wouldn't say anything, especially making her feel uncomfortable around Tyler. Either way, she had to pee. Glancing at the box on her dresser Bella sighed and grabbed it. If she couldn't give her husband a baby, she could at least give him a piece of mind. If she had to pee anyway, she might as well aim it at the damn white stick and get him his answer.

Three minutes later, she headed downstairs to grab a bite to eat and head back outside. As the day went on and the kids started to get cranky, Rosalie suggested putting in a movie and letting them relax in the air conditioned house. The only break they had really taken from the outdoors was around lunchtime so that they could refuel. Kaley was pouting against Edward's shoulder because Lily had thrown sand at her and Robby was angry with Lily for it as well while still not wanting to go anywhere near Emmett because Emmett yelled at Lily for it—it was definitely time for everyone to take a break.

Bella, who had been under a big umbrella reading a novel, yelled over to them that she'd be in soon. The guys carried kids and coolers while the girls grabbed towels and bags, leaving Bella by herself. It hit her when she felt the urge to pee again that she had completely forgotten about the pregnancy test upstairs. She was proud of herself, finally able to not dwell on it. Really, the only reason she'd taken it was to prove to Edward that it just wasn't in their cards. Besides, it wasn't worth it to stop reading in her comfy position, knowing it was just going to be a disappointment anyway. She could hold it for a little while longer.

Her ringing cell phone cut off her inner ramblings and interrupted her story. She was going to let it ring but when she saw who it was, grabbed it off of her towel. "Jake! How'd it go?"

"Are you going to be this excited to talk to me every time I call from now on? I have to admit, I'd call a lot more..."

"Shut up and tell me about the surgery!" Bella demanded.

"Easy, girl. It went fine. I've been rather groggy for a good many hours...have I ever mentioned that I freaking hate anesthesia?"

"Yes. After you threw up the day we both got our wisdom teeth out and you ended up ripping your stitches. You definitely got us that memo when you freaked out on the doctor..."

"Well, I haven't puked yet but I've been half asleep so who knows. Your mom's been awesome. She even baked me brownies."

"You can't have brownies right after surgery!"

"You also can't rip stitches in your knee from throwing up. So, I plan to eat the brownies and when I get sick, I'll remember you."

"Thanks, Jake. That's exactly how I want to be remembered..."

"Anyway, the surgery went fine. I can now go through the airport without my leg setting off the metal detector and these pain meds are pretty wicked. I'm feeling pretty good..."

"That's good," laughed Bella, knowing from the brownie discussion that he probably was a little out of it. She looked up to see Edward at a slow run, coming right for her. His face was unreadable and Bella panicked a little. "Jake, I have to call you back...something's wrong..."

Ending the call and tossing her phone aside, Bella stood up and headed towards her husband. When he was in ear shot, he yelled her name—as if she didn't see him heading straight for her. "What? What's wrong?"

He reached her then, practically knocking the air out of her lungs as he pulled her to his chest. "It happened. Oh, dear God, Bella. It happened!"

As he stood with tears in her eyes in front of her, her first thought was something went wrong with Robby. Then, fifteen other fears came to the front of her mind. "What..."

"I knew it! The weight gain, the moodiness, the sex...it was all right _there_..." Bella's mind was completely shutting down and his words were coming out jumbled, as if the tears on her beautiful husband's cheeks were pouring into her brain. He hit knees and grabbed her hips, pulling her to him as he lifted the baggy cover up and placed his lips to her abdomen. The contact he made with her completely broke her. She was pregnant. She was having his baby. His over-reaction of falling to his knees didn't seem so overdone as she sank down in front of him herself. She felt like she needed to say something epic, something memorable, but instead all they could do was sit and stare at each other.

"I love you," Bella said, bringing her hand down to her stomach after a few moments. She didn't know who she was talking to, Edward or the baby, but it really didn't matter. This was happening. This was finally fucking happening. "Oh, God, Edward! I've been drinking...and doing other things I shouldn't have been doing..."

"Don't stress, love. You know now and I'm sure everything will be fine. For God's sake, I'm pretty sure Tanya told me in a drunk text about Kaley..."

That's when it hit her the hardest. This kind, caring, loving man had to endure months at a time without knowing if his child was okay. It was one thing to think about it from her point of view, this baby would remain with her until he or she was born. For the father, he really had no way of knowing for sure that his child was okay. In Edward's situation, he had been fully vested in wanting a baby with Tanya, his wife. To have helped her create that life and then have it taken away from him for nine months put a lot into perspective.

For the millionth time, Bella though of ringing the blonde's neck. She decided to do one better. "I can't wait to share this with you. I want you to be there, Edward. I want to go to the doctor when we get home and I want you to come with me. I want you to hold my hand when we hear the heartbeat for the first time. I want you to be there when we see him or her on the screen. I want you to be there when I want tacos at three in the morning. I want you there when I'm telling you I hate you during the delivery. I want you there. I've always wanted you. Only you..."

He pulled her even closer as they sat down awkwardly, both affected by the sand digging into their knees. "I'm assuming you found the test?"

"Yeah, I was grabbing some dry clothes and saw it on the bag on the dresser. You didn't know? You didn't stay to see the result?"

"No. I actually kind of forgot about it..."

"Is this still what you want, Bells?" he asked her, obviously nervous.

"Yes. Absolutely. I guess everything with Robby kind of distracted me and yeah...now that I think about it I haven't gotten my period last month...in fact...I should have it right now for this month as well. Holy shit, I'm at least like a month and a half. I should have gone to the doctors..."

"Hey, you're going to do fine."

"_We're_ going to do fine. Holy shit, we're having a baby," Bella said, beginning to laugh, and feeling like she may finally have lost it. "Are we going to tell everyone?"

"I don't know...it's up to you."

"I want everyone to know! I'm going to go in and tell them and then call Seattle and tell them and then..."

"Honey, calm down. Why don't we just go inside and break the news..."

"Yes! Yes, let's go." Bella stood, pulling him up behind her.

As it turned out, most of the adults were standing outside on the balcony, with the exception of Tyler and Clair. Alice saw that Bella had been crying and immediately ran to her. "Is it Jake? The surgery..."

"No," Bella smiled, shaking her head. "He's fine. Typical Jake. I'm pregnant, Al. I'm having a baby!"

Alice practically jumped her and Bella was glad there was a nice, high railing to keep her from falling. "Oh my, God!" Soon, everyone was around them, Esme was crying, and Rosalie was hugging Edward like he was dying. She hadn't realized just how much everyone else had been waiting for this news just as she had been.

"The kids are sleeping but when are you going to tell Kaley and Robby?" Bella heard Carlisle ask Edward.

"Well, I guess soon. Kaley is going to be ecstatic. It's Robby I'm worried about but I think he'll be okay with it."

After a shower to get the sand and salt out of their hair—and after finally going to the bathroom, Edward and Bella got dressed to go out with everyone to celebrate. Esme and Carlisle volunteered to stay home with the kids—who had just woken up from their naps. Before leaving, though they asked them to come out onto the balcony and shut the sliding door so they had a little privacy. Bella knew everyone was watching them through the window. "Mommy and I have a surprise for you two..."

"A new puppy!" Kaley asked. Ever since Peanut had to be put down, Bella had been waiting for that one.

"No, Kaley, better." Bella looked to Edward, then, giving him the chance to say it—and she knew he wanted to so, so badly.

He took Bella's hand and kissed it before saying, "Mommy and Daddy are going to have a baby..."

"YES!" Kaley exclaimed, doing a little fist pump and interrupting him.

He laughed and asked with concern, "Robby, you okay, buddy?"

"Are you going to send me back?" he asked, eyes wide with fear as Bella looked over at him.

Bella pulled him to her, "What? No. Our family is just getting bigger, sweetheart..."

"Robby, babies are fun!" Kaley exclaimed, trying to reassure him. Bella wondered how fun she was going to think this little one was when he or she cried and woke everyone up in the middle of the night.

"Honey, we're going to do what we can to keep you home. Mommy and Daddy aren't just going to send you away. We're right here, buddy."

"Can it be a boy?" Robby asked with hope.

Bella laughed, "We don't really get to pick if it's a boy or a girl but why don't you two help us name the baby when we know? Would you like that?"

Robby nodded his head in his Robby way and Edward picked him up, opening the sliding glass door again, apparently everyone was waiting for them in the kitchen. Kaley stepped in and yelled as loudly as she could, "Hey, everyone! We're getting a baby!"

**800 reviews! Amazing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, for some it was long awaited. I was going to end it there but there are a lot of unresolved issues that I think we're all concerned about so I'm going to keep going. I don't have a new chapter done after this one and this weekend is not only a holiday weekend but also my graduation party. I'm not sure when I'll get to update but you know it's never very long in between. I love you all! Also, if you are into a little fetish kink, there is a contest Fetlife at Twilight you should check out ;) LP xx**


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~It's a little longer than normal—I should have included a spot halfway that says 'intermission'. There's even a ridiculously long a/n at the bottom. Sorry for that...but read it! **

**Chapter 45**

Bella realized as she stood at the bar with her husband, the rest of the couples had pretty much split into 'guys' and 'girls'. Edward hadn't left her side since they found out about their expected little one. He was doting to the point that she wanted to push him to join Emmett and Jasper by the doors, though she tried to remind herself that this was a new experience for him.

She decided to head over where the girls were gathered anyway and he pulled her back. "I'm going to talk to the guys. If you need me..."

"Edward," she said, taking his face in her hands, "I'm going over to talk to the girls. I'm not going skydiving. I'm going to have to kill you if you act like this for the next seven and a half months...oh my God...we only have seven and a half freaking months..."

Edward just shook his head, "Go have fun."

Rosalie was obviously upset about something and had been reserved for a lot of the day. She wasn't her over-exuberant self and that made Bella nervous. In fact, she hadn't been herself since the night before. Bella was just about to ask her if she needed to talk when Alice put an arm around her, "Look at Edward, Bells. He's so happy, it's like he can't take his eyes off of you!"

"I'm happy, too...holy shit! Alice..."

Bella couldn't believe what she was seeing, Tyler had walked over to where Clair was standing and handed her a bottle of water. She watched as he whispered something in Clair's ear and then went back over to the guys. "Didn't see that coming..." Alice commented, sipping her own plain orange juice.

"So what do you think was said about me last night?" Bella asked anxiously.

"I honestly don't know but I bet I could get it out of Jazz..."

"I'll get you a new cup of orange juice if you go interrogate," Bella said, raising an eyebrow conspiratorially.

Alice nodded and skipped away to find her husband. Bella headed for the bar and waited for someone to come over and help her. When the bartender arrived, she ordered two plain, non-alcoholic orange juices—one for herself this time—and waited some more. She felt someone come up beside her and turned to find Tyler. "Hey, Ty..."

"Hey. Your drinks are on me tonight. I owe you."

She smiled, "Well, I ordered two, one's for Ally..."

"I got it. Don't worry," he smiled, taking out his wallet and waiting with a ten dollar bill in his hand for the bartender to come back.

Bella waited as well, feeling awkward because she really didn't know what to say. She looked around for Alice and saw her friend talking to Jasper with a strained look on her face. Suddenly, Alice's eyes went to the other side of the room where Edward was striding across towards her and Tyler. Edward came up behind her, one hand resting on her stomach and his chest pressing into her back. "I got it, Tyler."

The way he said it let Tyler know it wouldn't be in his best interest to argue. _What the hell is going on? _"Edward, it's fine. He's just trying to apologize..."

"He already said he was sorry..." Edward bit out.

"He is standing right here. Stop being rude!" Bella couldn't believe _Edward_, her sweet, kind Edward was acting like that. "He was just saying..."

"He said enough last night. Tyler, look, I get that you and Clair might be on good terms again but I don't feel comfortable with you around my wife. Take your money and go back to Clair."

Bella's jaw dropped as the bartender stood in front of them, watching the exchange and obviously bracing to break up a fight. "Ty, thank you for the apology...I'm sorry..."

"It's fine, Bells. I'll see you guys back at the house..." With that, he turned and walked away.

"What the hell is going on? Edward, tell me what he said about me last night. Now." Bella was livid. He could be as angry as he wanted to be with Tyler but it wasn't fair that everyone else seemed to know what had been said but her.

"He made a stupid ass comment about you to me and that's all..."

"WHAT did he say, Edward?" Bella demanded, the bartender now watching the two of the closely. Bella would have found that funny in another situation, she knew she and Edward weren't going to get into a bar fight with each other. Still, he was kind of pissing her off.

Bella watched him glance over at the person behind the bar before saying, "Let's talk outside..."

"Mam?" the bartender asked, obviously worried about them getting into it in his parking lot.

"It's fine," Bella said by way of apology, "he's my husband. I'm fine."

The man backed off then, going back to stacking beer cans in the fridge by the bar. Edward took Bella's hand and pulled her along behind him until they were outside. They got out in just enough time to see Clair get into a car with Tyler as he drove off. Edward shook his head, his hands pulling at his hair, before he said, "He made a comment about me not being able to get you pregnant and when you left he wanted you to go to him..."

"For the love of God, Edward. Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I didn't want you to feel awkward..."

"Why would I feel awkward because of that?"

"He might have said something about your 'tight little body'..."

"And that's the point you scared the hell out of Robby because you lost your temper," Bella asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"Honey," Bella began, pushing him back so they were both leaning against the Volvo with her against his chest, "first off you know that I would never leave you. Secondly, you know that if I wasn't getting pregnant it was more to do with me than you. Thirdly, he was really drunk and I'm not making excuses for him but he easily could have said the same about Ally. Lastly, I appreciate you coming to my defense but you can't let stuff like that get to you. I see how much it bothers you when other men look at me. If I dress a little skimpily, it's only for you and I would never encourage another man to lust after me like that. So, please, calm down and remember that I am your wife. I'm only here for you. This jealousy issue you're dealing with is unnecessary. Tanya..."

"Don't bring her up. I get it. I need to put her behind me, Bella. Rosalie was right the other night, I'm still reeling from what happened in my past to the point that it's going to end up messing things up for us and that's not fair to you."

"It's not. You loved her, enough to marry her. I hate that piece of information but I've long ago accepted it and I know that she hurt you. Honestly, I don't think you ever even got closure. You just kind of quit talking to her because once again she took off with someone else..."

"You were already in my life. I was already in love with you..."

"That doesn't mean it didn't hurt!" Bella said, becoming frustrated.

"I didn't say it didn't hurt!" he yelled. Then lowering his voice, he shook his head, "I'm sorry...I've been drinking...I have no right to yell at you..."

"Let's just go back inside. We'll finish our drinks and head back early. Some rest could do us both some good..."

"You okay?" Alice asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Clair left with him," Bella said with a loud sigh, changing the subject—which obviously her friend didn't realize.

"Edward?" Alice looked at her in horror.

"No! Alice, he's right over there with Jazz. She left with Tyler."

"Oh." Bella watched as her friend contemplated this.

"She's old enough to make her own decisions."

"And her own mistakes," Bella muttered.

"Well, look at it this way, he thinks you're hot," Alice said laughed, attempting to make a joke.

"Al, as flattering as that is, don't mention it in front of Edward, alright? He still has this jealousy complex going on and I don't want to make it worse. In fact, perhaps I need to purchase some more baggy clothes..."

"I won't, sorry. I didn't think it was that soft of a spot for him but there's no way in hell I'm letting you cover up that body with frumpy clothing!"

"It won't matter in a couple months, Alice. I'll be as big as a whale and I wouldn't even dream of showing my body off to Edward."

"I don't know, Bella. Something about the way he looks at you, I think he might be getting off on the whole pregnant wife thing. Perhaps that's why he was so upset by what Tyler said. Papa Bear's protecting Mama Bear," Alice said, raising an eyebrow. Bella just shook her head and laughed, though what her best friend just said made sense.

Later that night, Bella drove Edward, Jasper, and Alice home. The girls were in the front seat while the two guys were in the back. "I can't believe she just left with him," Jasper was saying to Edward.

"Fucking prick. Did you hear what he said about Bella last night? The only chance he has of getting within ten feet of my Bella is if I'm dead..."

"Edward, stop," Bella called from the front seat. As much as she loved his protectiveness of her and she knew he was drunk, she didn't want him talking about death.

"I love you, baby!" he called. Then, he put his window down. Bella glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

"I love you, too. Do you need me to pull over?" she asked, worried he was sick.

"No. I'm just warm. The air feels good...I think Jasper literally just fell asleep..."

Alice glanced back and giggled. "Yup. Out cold. I'll have to get Emmett to help me carry him into the house."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Edward asked, sounding slightly offended.

"Maybe _drunk_ chopped liver..." Alice challenged.

"You're lucky I love ya, Al," Edward quipped. Bella shook her head at the exchange before realizing that there was a good chance Robby wouldn't be asleep yet. He did this a lot when they weren't there, if he felt vulnerable at all, he wouldn't sleep unless one of them were around. She knew Edward was in no way a violent drunk but she figured she'd warn him in case he said something a little to obnoxiously and scared the little boy.

"Edward, hey, this is the first time Robby could end up seeing you drunk. Please just be careful with what you say and do," Bella said nervously.

"Bells, I'm really not that bad. Honestly."

"Alright. So, what's going on with Rose and Em? I don't think they're really talking to each other right now." Bella commented thoughtfully.

"This happens with them," Edward explained, "one of them pisses the other off and then they don't speak for weeks and then they're fine. They'll be fine."

Bella laughed at his simple explanation as they pulled into the large driveway in front of the house. As soon as she opened her door she heard the McCarty's going at it...and not in a good way. "Emmett, nothing happened!"

"I saw him. He had his hand on your ass and he kissed your cheek. You weren't just dancing, Rose!"

"I am sick and tired of this. I'm so fed up. You must have some serious self esteem issues to keep thinking that every guy that looks at me is going to end up in my bed...or else you just think I'm a slut. Thanks for that."

She went to walk away and Emmett grabbed her arm. Bella, who was still sitting in the car with her door open, watched Edward walk to the front of the Volvo and stop. "Bella..." Alice started, obviously concerned that Edward was going to end up trying to get involved.

"Rosie, baby, please just talk to me! This is the part that upsets me. This is the part that makes me feel like you wouldn't mind being with someone else. You can't ever just talk to me..."

"I'm tired of talking with you. Please, just let me go."

He let go of her arm as Bella came to stand beside Edward. "Look, I'm going to go for a ride. I need to think..."

"It's one o'clock in the morning. Let's go for a walk..." the two still argued.

"_No_. Dammit, Emmett, no. God, what is it with you lately?"

"You were practically all over that guy...he even kissed your cheek..."

Bella wondered when this mystery man kissed Rosalie, she hadn't seen anything, but she was worried about Edward. With his over-reaction to cheating and his deep friendship with Rosalie, this could end badly. "Edward, please, let's go in the house. Our little one still might be up. I bet he'd love to see you before bed. Please." Bella knew she was begging and she also knew she wasn't above it either.

It was obvious that Rose was drunk and that she and Emmett were caught up in the moment but she was bad enough that unlike Emmett, she hadn't even noticed they were there. She continued to go in circles, telling him she wanted to leave, then blaming him for one thing or another. If alcohol hadn't been a factor, she didn't think this would be such a long, drawn out fight. When Rosalie went to get into her car, she had to walk past them and when she caught sight of Edward, she stopped in her tracks. "Edward..." she breathed, shame on her face.

Bella expected him to berate her, ask how she could have done what she did—or at least demanded to know if it was true. Instead, he just shook his head and looked over to Bella. "Come to bed, love. I'm just going to check on the kids first."

His calmness is what told her he was shaken and Rosalie knew it just as well. "Edward, wait..." he didn't, though, and Bella would always give him credit for that. She would also always love him for going to the front door but not going in. He watched as Alice and Emmett coaxed Rosalie to go for a walk on the beach, even if he was upset with her, Edward still wanted to make sure she wouldn't do something as stupid as driving drunk.

When he went in and Bella knew the situation was as resolved as it was going to be, she followed, only to pass Carlisle and James who were coming out. "He's in the back of the Volvo," Bella said with a small smile, grateful that Edward had remembered to get someone to carry his friend in, considering Emmett had his hands full already.

Bella went in search of her husband and found him leaning against the door to Robby's room. She joined him by pressing her ear to it as well and smiled. The faint snores told them he was fine. The little boy didn't like people around when he was sleeping, Bella knew it made him feel vulnerable. They had learned, after sending him into panic one night, to just keep his door shut if they could tell he was sleeping.

"Kaley and Lily are sound asleep. I just checked in on them. Are you ready to go to bed? You shouldn't be up this late..."

Bella rolled her eyes at her husband's worrying. "Let's go. I don't think it's mommy or baby who need sleep, daddy looks like he's about ready to fall over."

"After you," he said, gesturing towards the stairs that led to their room.

"So, spill. What's going on with Rosalie and Emmett?" Bella asked him as they lay in bed, Edward had one arm under her head and another resting protectively on her stomach.

"I don't know."

"What happened outside...that was...not normal, Edward. I mean how can Emmett not have been freaking out? If that were you and me out there..."

"It wouldn't have been," Edward answered quickly.

Bella was surprised by his short answer but was disturbed that nobody seemed to care about Rosalie's groping situation tonight. Then Bella knew. No one was surprised by it, at least no one who was close the situation. "She's been cheating on Emmett, hasn't she?" Bella asked quietly, not really needing him to agree with her. So she was surprised by his response.

"Bella, no," he said, frustrated.

"Then what's going on? I know she's told you. She tells you everything!" Bella said, trying to be playful about it.

"They're just going through a rough time right now. They've been fighting—a lot—for almost a month now..."

"Do you think what happened tonight with the other guy was true? Did Emmett really see what he thought he did?"

"I don't know, Bella, I didn't see it," he was drunk and irritated, obviously getting annoyed.

"I'm sorry. Forget I said anything," she said, turning over to face away from him.

When they got up the next morning, there was obvious tension from Emmett and Rosalie, in fact the two weren't talking at all—unless it was something about their daughter. Robby, who had always been anxious around Emmett, was even keeping his distance from his Aunt Rose and was practically clinging to Edward. It was clear that everyone had sobered up and as soon as breakfast was over, Rosalie grabbed their car keys and stated to no one in particular that she would be back.

Edward had been very reserved all morning but he tried not to let the kids see that he was upset. Bella noticed it, though. She was surprised he hadn't tried to help Rose's case last night, she was surprised he hadn't pulled his best friend aside to make sure she was okay this morning, and she was even more surprised when it was three hours later and Rosalie hadn't made it back yet. Edward called her a couple times but that was about it.

He was scared, she realized. While Emmett would suffer if Rosalie was cheating on him, Edward would suffer too. Rose was his best friend, the one he turned to when it came to the shit about Tanya that he still couldn't deal with, namely the infidelity. If it turned out Rosalie was guilty of something that Edward considered one of the greatest sins, he wouldn't be able to forgive her. Not only would he lose one of this oldest friends, he'd lose one of his support systems. In the beginning of their relationship, Bella wouldn't have minded if the two of them weren't as close—in fact she sometimes wished it. Over the years, she found that it really was just deep friendship between the two of them and she didn't want to see him hurt over this. It wasn't fair. Emmett wasn't the only one who would have been lied to.

They went to the beach again that day, and as the kids played tag in the sand with Emmett, Bella waded out to deeper water with her husband. He surprised her by saying, "It's true."

"Huh?"

"About Rosalie..."

A bad feeling crept into Bella's stomach. She tried to push her suspicions down long enough for him to continue. "What about her," she asked, her voice thick.

"I've called her twice since she left this morning. She's not answering or returning my calls but she did when my mom called. I think she's afraid of what I have to say to her..." he reasoned, and Bella prayed he was wrong.

"What _do_ you have to say to her?" Bella asked, biting her lip.

"That she needs to stop what she's doing before she ruins her marriage...and breaks up her family..."

"Where do you think she went?"

"I don't know and at this point I don't exactly care. I can't protect her from something she's doing to herself. I just don't understand how she could do this to Emmett. After everything she's said to me about Tanya in the past... I worry more about Rose coming in contact with her than you because Rose is going to be the one to end up in jail. It doesn't matter, though. She made her bed. I'm just happy to be here with you and the kids...and the little one on the way...did you call your mom?"

"Yeah," Bella smiled, grateful for the change in subject, "I told her to tell Ally's parents and spread the word to Billy. I told Jake last night but swore him to secrecy. I kind of feel bad I wasn't there to say 'welcome home'."

"Well, why don't we visit Seattle next weekend?"

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" she asked surprised.

"No. I'm sure everyone would like to see the kids, anyway. I'll bet Alice will want to come along."

"Edward!" they heard Emmett calling from shore. Turning around, they saw him waving them over while Esme and Carlisle were sitting on a blanket eating snacks with the kids. Edward pulled Bella to where she could stand and the closer they got, the more concerned she became. "You've got to try to call her. She's been gone for way too long..."

"Em, she won't answer for me. I already tried. She answered when my mom called though, she was probably worried about Lily," Edward replied.

"Then use your mom's phone. I need to know that she's at least okay."

Edward stared at the phone in his hand, really not wanting to talk to her. He had been completely truthful with everything he had said to Bella. Rosalie did this to herself and while he really wanted to ask her what the fuck she thought she was doing, he knew she would just shut down on him and hang up. Emmett had walked away, distressed over what could be said and Bella had taken the kids in for a bathroom break, leaving him alone to wonder the beach. So when she answered, he tried to remain calm. "Esme...hey..."

"It's Edward. Funny how you'll answer for my mom but not for me...or your husband. Where are you?" he asked, not giving her time to comment on not answering.

"I'm on my way back."

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Rosalie asked so that he could barely hear her.

"Have you cheated on Emmett?"

"No. Edward, I didn't. I swear it to you..."

"Then what _happened _last night?"

"I was dancing with a guy and he got a little grabby. I'm more angry with Emmett than anything because instead of saying something to the guy, he just gets angry with me!"

"What if that were Emmett? What if some girl hit on him like that? Grabbed him? Kissed him?"

When she didn't say anything, he heard her huff, "It's not like Em and I's marriage is really that great right now..."

"Right now? Rose, marriage isn't easy. What? Do you think you wake up everyday and smile because of who's beside you? It's not always the case. I love my wife, I would give my life for her, but that doesn't mean I don't get angry or frustrated with her. That doesn't mean that I come home from work and say 'honey I'm home' and she greets me like I'm the best fucking thing in her world. It doesn't happen often. Marriage is _hard _and sometimes it _hurts _and when you know you shouldn't be with someone, when you know you fucked up, you know it! Deep down, you know you shouldn't be with that person...

"You and Em aren't like that, though. It's you, Rosalie, it's the girl who never takes no for answer, who doesn't make requests, she demands them. The same girl who won the heart of someone who is double her size and could snap her in half but he's afraid to make her angry. Don't for five fucking minutes try to sit there and tell me that marrying Emmett wasn't what you wanted. You are Rosalie fucking Hale. The mayor's daughter and the strange Edward Cullen's best friend. You are more importantly Emmett McCarty's wife, a man who's a big teddy bear and would die for you! Even more importantly there's Lily. If you give up on you and Emmett, think about how that's going to effect her..."

"I know..."

"No. You don't. I caught the biggest mistake of my life before it could hurt Kaley. It was me and her and she didn't know any different. She was too young to know differently. Lily's not, Rose. All Kaley saw was her life get even better when Bella came into it. I thank God everyday for things turning out that way! That she didn't have to watch Tanya and I argue or watch her mother walk out on us..."

"Edward, I know you're right. Just calm down. Are you at the beach house still?"

"Yeah. I'm down by the water..." he heard a car door shut over the phone and then she hung up on him. He decided to head back to give him mom her phone back when he saw Rosalie rounding the house and looking around before striding towards him.

"I'm sorry. I did something so, so stupid and..." she pulled him in for a hug as she began to cry. "I do love Emmett. It's just that things got away from us and I got scared... Edward, you didn't make the biggest mistake of your life by marrying Tanya...you never would have gotten Kaley and I know you loved her or else you wouldn't have made the attempt to commit to her for life. We don't pick who we love, Edward. I'm sorry..."

"You need to talk to Em." He pulled away and realize he was crying as well. He also saw that Emmett and Bella were watching from a good many feet away.

"Oh, God," Rose said, looking like she was going to be sick, "he's never going to forgive me..."

"Something tells me he will. Come on. Just tell him how you feel. In fact, we'll take Lily in and get the kids down for naps. Go fix things with your husband."

As they walked towards their spouses, Edward wiped the tears away as Rosalie held her head high, he knew she could do it. Rosalie had always been the one to say it like it was and tell you exactly what she wanted, while Edward wallowed and moped until she verbally bitch slapped him. It was opposite and unnatural when the rare instances arrived that their roles were reversed and he was glad she was back. It was strange seeing her vulnerable with him but when they approached Emmett, she ran to him and he held her to his chest while she cried. That was surprisingly natural to Edward, as much as Rose and Edward protected each other, Emmett was the one who would always be her _number_ one. Em didn't give himself enough credit.

Bella just gave him a small 'I know and it's going to be okay' smile, as he got to her and they walked up to the house , allowing their friends some privacy. Bella rubbed small circles on his back as they went and he shook his head with new found clarity, "It wasn't my fault. I loved Tanya with everything I had. It wasn't a mistake because things happen the way they do for a reason. If I regret the love I had for her, I regret her conceiving Kaley and I could never bring myself to that. When she left, I did everything I thought was right for my daughter and Bella, I'd do it all again. Now, I have you, the person who was born to be my wife and the mother of my children...even if it's not biological. I don't regret anything because it brought me to you...and Kaley...and Robby...even it was all a little out of order and unconventional..."

"Edward, breathe," Bella said easily as she picked up Robby and grabbed Kaley's hand while he reached down for Lily. "I never doubted any of this and am quite happy you finally realized all of that. If you haven't noticed, it's what we've all been trying to tell you for years now. You did nothing wrong. Now come on, I think all of us could use a nice long nap."

**So, I hope you all enjoyed a little Edward coming apart at the seams and saying how he really feels...I think he could be a good motivational speaker if social work doesn't work out for him ;) I felt this chapter was necessary because the sooner he could accept that he wasn't at fault for things, the sooner he could work on his problems with jealousy and it would take him trying to fix someone else to realize such things. Anyway, I am in absolute, total, complete, shock over all of the reviews/story alerts that have overwhelmed my inbox. RavenousVamp, I know you said you were going to suggest me to a few people so if you are the culprit, I heart you hard! If not, your reviews are always awesome to read and very inspiring so either way, thank you for your kind support! If someone else recommended me, thank you to them from the bottom of my heart! The idea that my words are reaching so many other people is astounding! I'm trying to get out updates as often as possible but am back to writing as I go with no more chapters on reserve so be patient. If there isn't an update tomorrow I will try my damnedest to get one out by Wednesday. Leave me some more of that awesome lovin'! Letzigprincess xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	46. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes. **

**I also do not own the starfish legend, though I do own fond memories of being told that story when I was kid. **

**Chapter 46**

As was usual, by the last night of vacation, everyone was glad to be together but anxious to get home and away from each other. While Edward packed up the kids's clothes, Bella packed for her and Edward. James and Clair had left that morning and Tyler had left two days prior. There had been definite strain over the past week with the whole Tyler situation and Bella worried about what would happen when the guys all had to work together at the station. James had mentioned that they got a few new guys who were interested and that he needed the guys for training next weekend. Bella didn't mind, though.

Folding his Station 88 navy blue shirt, the same shirt he had about eighty more of back home, Bella couldn't help but smile to herself. There had been times in their marriage that she wanted to plead with him to give it up, especially when those calls came in at two or three in the morning waking up Robby. She realized that even if Edward wasn't being called with those sirens, they were going to wake Robby up anyway but it still drove her nuts. The hardest thing was being in the warm bed and watching her husband force himself to get dressed.

While he kissed her goodbye and laid Robby down next to her, he always told her to go back to sleep and that he'd be safe. Bella knew that until he returned, she didn't have a chance at dozing off again. Ninety percent of the time it wasn't anything to be too worried about, a car accident was usually the culprit but there were times when a burning building would be the reason he was called out. Those were the ones that scared her the most.

No matter how frustrated she would get, though, she knew who he was when she married him and there were no regrets. He was an everyday person who fought for the lives of other people. He was that person that just when you thought it was over, he was pulling you to safety. It also helped that she and Alice could talk about it together. The community truly did care about the guys who were helping to protect them. Bella and Edward had trouble going to the grocery store without people coming up to Edward to say thank you or just simply ask how things are going. Kaley, of course, ate up the attention.

Station 88 was a home in ways to Edward and it's men were family. There were many Saturdays spent having cookouts while the guys washed the engines. Bella smiled, remembering their wedding day when Rosalie came into the room, swearing up a storm, because they guys had taken off on a call when they were supposed to be in route to the church. Bella had been concerned but knew this was exactly what she was signing on for. Her husband was her own personal hero and the fact that he put others before himself made her love him all the more.

Bringing her hand to rest on her tummy, her smile grew as she thought about the new life she was carrying, a life they had created together. Excited to see her family back in Seattle, she grabbed her phone and called Renee. "Bella?" her mom asked, obviously excited to hear from her even though they'd just talked a few days before.

"Hey, mom!"

"Oh, honey, how are you feeling? I'm just so excited...we are going to throw you a shower and..."

"Mom, Edward and I have a lot of things from when Kaley was a baby..."

"What if it's a boy? Come on, Bella, it's not like I've ever had the opportunity. You're my only daughter..."

"Alright. Alright. You have to include Esme, though, mom. Edward's her only child as well and I know she never got to throw a proper shower when Kaley was coming either. Edward mentioned once that his mom, Aunt Liz, and Rose went with him one day and they helped him get what he needed but I mean, he really did everything on his own. It's kind of not fair now that I think about it. He was getting a newborn..."

"I was planning to include her, honey. She and Rose and Ally..."

"Mom. I was calling to tell you that we're planning to come visit next weekend." Bella cut her off before she could list every name in the entire state of Washington.

"I can't wait to tell your dad! He's down at the hospital with Billy...Jake's going to be so excited! Are you bringing Kaley and Robby? I bet he's adorable! I can't wait to meet him..."

"You have to be really careful with him. He isn't like Kaley and it might take awhile for him to warm up to everyone," Bella warned, worried that she was going to cause him stress by taking him to meet a bunch of new people at once.

"I'm sure we'll all love him. How's he doing, anyway? I know things were rough for the little guy."

"He's doing really, really well. We have to remind Kaley once in awhile to not play rough with him but other than that we never have issues with the two of them getting along. Edward is falling in love with him and I mean, honestly, I am too."

"So is this going to be a permanent thing? With the new baby coming and Kaley, it's going to be really hard for a little while, honey."

"I know and we'll work it out. I figure if Edward can take care of one newborn on his own, he and I can raise one and two older kids. You should have heard him, mom. When we told Robby about the baby, his first response was asking if we were going to send him back. I swear that was the hardest thing I've heard that little one say and he's said some pretty disturbing things about his past. It was also the most afraid I've ever seen him. I wasn't the only one who had trouble with it, I thought Edward was going to cry..."

"Do you think he'll be okay with a new baby? Babies are loud and need a lot of attention, I just don't want to see him feel like he's being put aside and have him get mean with the baby."

"I really don't think it'll be like that. Edward and I won't let that happen, mom. Robby's an amazing kid that was thrown into terrible circumstances."

"It sounds like this is going to be permanent then, huh?" Renee asked, knowingly.

"I don't know for sure but I would very much like it to be. Edward and I need to talk about it but I know we're both going to try what we can to make sure he stays with us. He's happy here, mom. He's actually starting to act like a normal, happy child."

"I'm proud of you two, Bells. Hey, I hate to change the subject but when you guys come next weekend, don't get upset if Jake is acting a little differently. He's had a rough time, honey."

"I talked to him the night before I called you about the baby, he sounded fine. He was a little doped up after the surgery but he was fine..."

"Yeah. I'm sure he just needs to get home and he'll be fine," Renee said quickly. "Anyway, I'm supposed to be meeting your dad at the station and then we're going out for dinner. Can I call you later?"

After Bella got off the phone with Renee, she fought the urge to call Jake. As much as her mom said everything was fine, she knew she was lying because she didn't want to upset her. The gang was busy packing but they were all going outside for one last night on the beach. Fireworks were supposed to be put off down at the pier and they could see them down the beach from where they were staying. She put her worries about her friend off for the night, added an event notification into her phone to remember to call him on their way back, and headed outside.

She spotted Edward sitting a little ways away from everyone else, watching Kaley and Lily play in the water. The look of pride she saw on his face made her heart melt and she couldn't have been more happy. When Robby came running over to her, he was all smiles. This was what life was supposed to be and Bella could honestly say she couldn't possibly ask for more.

Edward couldn't believe how big Kaley had gotten. Seeing her down by the water, standing beside Lily, he realized that time had gone by way quicker than he ever could have imagined. He smiled to himself, remembering the days when she was Lily's age. When he was the only person in the world that mattered the most to her. Now, he had competition for that top spot. Bella was the perfect fit for both him and Kaley.

Those first few years had definitely been the hardest of his life but he knew he wouldn't have traded them for the world. Of every father/daughter relationship he had seen, he hadn't found one that matched the bond he and his daughter had. While most people who were faced with the life he had been handed, could have turned their tiny baby over to their parents or someone else who they didn't know to raise and care for the little one, he couldn't have done it.

Even on those nights when she was up at all hours of the night because she simply wanted held, mainly because he also couldn't bring himself to let her lie there and cry, he wouldn't have given it up. While Tanya may have broken him apart, that little girl had patched him back together without even knowing it. He owed his daughter the world and would never give up on trying to give it to her.

He heard Robby yelling to Bella before he even saw her. When he turned, though, he found he could hardly breathe. His Bella was holding their son's hand and walking towards him. She wore a sundress, of course a yellow one, and as it flapped lightly the material clung to her. He thought about how she would look in just a few short months and could honestly say that he couldn't wait. The idea of his little Bella, tummy swollen with his baby, made him want to pull her back into the house and have his way with her.

Fighting those urges, new thoughts arose that were less pleasant. Bella _was_ rather tiny. The fact that it had been so hard for her to conceive made him wonder how easily this pregnancy was going to go. With her small body, he wondered if there was a possibility that she'd have trouble carrying him or her. It had been something he was upset for not looking into before they tried and now berated himself for possibly putting her in danger. Either way, the serene look on her face now was enough to push those thoughts aside and stand to greet her and his son as Kaley ran towards them. "Fireworks are starting in about an hour, let's go for a walk, love."

While Kaley and Robby ran ahead, Edward took his time with Bella. If she asked why he was walking like he was an elderly man, he would simply reply that he didn't want to over-exert her—even though it would cause her to roll her eyes. The truth, however, was that he just wanted to take her in. There were times when he would wake up, times when she wasn't there, and panic. It wasn't always because of the nightmares, sometimes it was because he'd become afraid that it was all a dream. He'd worry that Kaley was still two, he was still desperately alone, and Isabella Swan, now Cullen, was just a figment of his imagination.

"Daddy, look!" Kaley shouted, as her and Robby were looking down at something. Bella broke away from him quickly, obviously worried that they found something they shouldn't touch—which is exactly what they were about to do.

He saw Bella relax and smile. In front of the four of them was a perfect orange colored starfish. "Can we keep it, daddy?" Robby asked, poking it in the way only a five year old could.

"No, throw it back in. I think it's still alive. We can save it."

" Will it die? Is it stuck out here?" Kaley asked.

"Yeah, honey. Throw it back," Edward urged.

Kaley picked it up and threw it as hard as she could and to his surprise it managed to get pretty far out into the water. He saw Robby begin to run then before stopping abruptly and picking up another. He grabbed it, tossed it, and went for another one. They were everywhere. He watched Robby and Kaley running around and throwing starfish before looking over at Bella. Tears were running down her cheeks. "What's wrong, baby?"

"It's nothing. Hormones, I guess. This just reminded me of the starfish legend Jake's dad told us when we were little. Ya know, the one with the man and the little boy."

Edward looked at her blankly and she took a deep breath. "There was a man, a business man or some man that was super practical...you know how these stories go. Anyway, a young boy was throwing the starfish in and the man explained that it was silly because he couldn't save them all," Bella hiccuped a little and blinked her eyes, starting to cry harder.

"Bella..." he was worried by how upset this was making her but she trudged on anyway.

"So the little boy looked at this grown, educated man, held up a starfish and said," she stopped to compose herself again, "that even if he couldn't make a difference to all of the starfish, he could make a difference to this one..."

Edward took notice that she wasn't looking at him, instead her gaze had fallen on their little, lost boy. Fresh tears stung his eyes and he realized that hormones really had nothing to do with her being emotional this time. When he thought about it in the terms that she just had, he found he was just as bad at wringing in his own emotions. Kaley had gotten distracted, now playing in the sand, but Robby kept up his rescue mission as Bella and him watched.

"Edward, you did make a difference for that little boy. There's no way you could possibly save every child but you saved this one, baby. You not only saved his life, you gave him one."

"_We _gave him one," Edward corrected as he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his gray t-shirt.

"We can't let him go. He belongs with us..." Bella was full on sobbing now as he hugged her and rubbed her back.

"Do you want to adopt him?" Edward asked after she had caught her breath and was starting to calm down.

"Yes. If you think it's going to be too much..."

Edward couldn't help but laugh at that and raise an eyebrow, "Bells, hate to break it to ya, but I don't think there is such as thing as 'too much' for us. How many times are we going to have to prove that?"

Bella laughed back through her tears. "True freaking story. So, that's it? We can keep him?"

Edward chuckled, "Listen to you! Do you remember when I asked to bring him home that night at the hospital and you told me he wasn't a puppy? Now you're asking if we can keep him? Who's making him sound like a puppy now?"

Bella laughed, "Shut up, Cullen, if Kaley hears you mention the 'p' word you know she's going to start asking for one. That little girl's getting a brother and a baby, mommy will lose her sanity if we throw a puppy into that mix..."

Edward laughed again and kissed her, getting serious again, "I'm going to talk to my boss about starting the adoption process. It won't be that difficult since we're both rather stable in our jobs and with us both working with the community. He doesn't have other family to fight us for him. Just don't mention it to him yet, alright? If something God forbid goes wrong, it's going to really upset him."

"Well, we'll fight. We'll fight for him as hard as you fought for Kaley. He's our son, Edward."

"Who wants a s'more? Robby, do you want one?" Emmett asked and everyone watched as Robby slid away from Emmett to go sit on Edward's lap. Robby had watched while Emmett made one for Kaley and it was obvious that he was envious of her and her chocolatey treat.

Edward was in conversation with Rosalie as Bella tried to get Alice to quit fussing over her weight gain. "Alice, really? You. Don't. Look. Any. Different!"

"Hormonal much?"

"You two are hilarious. If you're both going to be bitching at each other for the next nine months, Edward and I are in for it..."

"Bitching!" Kaley yelled.

While Emmett desperately tried to hide his laughter, everyone else was staring in amusement at Kaley. Finally, Edward cleared his throat and called her over to him. Robby wasn't as calm as everyone else and Edward felt his little body tense as he sat in Edward's lap. Very slowly, Robby crept over to Bella before saying, "Don't hit Kaley!" Bella had it under control though, as he heard her tell him not to worry, that 'daddy has never and will never hit Kaley.'

He wasn't too surprised that she picked up a bad word, in fact, he was surprised that it hadn't happened already. About a year ago, she overheard him yell 'shit' after breaking a plate in the kitchen and he'd given her the 'grown-up words' talk then but she'd never really said anything she shouldn't. When she went to him, she was hesitant, almost afraid. She knew she did something wrong. "Love, what did you just say, whisper it to me," Edward said calmly.

"Bitching..." Kaley whispered with a frown.

"Why are you frowning, little bug?" Edward asked knowingly.

"I'm not supposed to say that word..."

"Are we going to say it again?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's a grown up word."

"Good girl. Now, give me a hug and go eat your s'more before it gets cold. Fireworks are starting soon." She gave him a huge hug, grabbed her s'more plate and plopped down in his lap where Robby had just been.

"Is he going to be okay with the loud bangs?" he heard Esme ask Bella as Emmett handed the little boy in question a warm s'more, despite his turning it down originally.

"I hope so..." she replied, looking to Edward in a 'we-should-have-thought-of-that' kind of way.

"Hey, buddy," Edward said, "did you ever see fireworks before?"

Robby shook his head and looked at him—after stuffing the s'more into his mouth, so Edward continued. "They make a really loud boom and then there are colors in the sky. They're pretty but they're loud. Do you want to give it a try?"

Robby nodded his head and leaned back into Bella, as if to say he was staying. "Alright, you let mommy or daddy know if you're scared and we'll go back in the house with you, buddy," Bella reassured him.

Ten minutes later the first boom went off and Edward felt Kaley jump in his lap. Looking over, he saw Robby get a death grip on Bella's arm and a panicked look overtook his face. "Look up, Robby!" Bella said cheerfully, pointing at the sky.

The lights caught in his eyes and Edward smiled at how fascinated he was with it. A second boom rang out and he grabbed Bella, turning his face to hide it in her hair. "The scariest part is the boom! You're going to miss the pretty lights," Edward encouraged.

Bella pushed her hair behind her shoulders and held him tightly. Edward was surprised he was letting her hold him like that. Soon, another loud one came and Robby flinched. After the next couple he saw his son begin to relax and even smile. Remembering that hollow look the little boy had in his eyes when they first brought him home, it was amazing to get to see the colors reflecting on the happy little boy's face.

Everyone had relaxed after seeing how well Robby was taking the loud noise. Jasper and Alice weren't even trying to hide their little make out session while his parents held hands and stared at the night sky. Lily was munching on a graham cracker and even Emmett and Rosalie were leaning in towards each other. Apparently, the night of what was now called the 'groping incident', Rosalie had asked Emmett for a divorce. According to Rosalie, Emmett had been reluctant but told her he wanted her to be happy—even if it wasn't with him. They weren't planning on telling anyone until after the vacation, hence the reason she wouldn't call Edward back—as Esme knew, they had serious issues with keeping secrets from each other.

After the day on the beach, the kids had been put down for a nap and the McCarty's had a long talk—after a few long kisses—and decided to see a counselor back home. Rosalie had cried on his shoulder that night, feeling like a total bitch, not because she cheated or stole or was mean to her husband, it was because she had given up on him. Apparently, the ice queen he knew and loved had a lot of self-loathe herself. Edward wondered if she'd be able to put her insecurities aside to keep her marriage alive or if it wouldn't work out after all. He was betting on them, though. Besides, Em was the only guy Rose ever dated that Edward hadn't had a problem with. The guy was good.

Laughter brought him back to present and he couldn't believe it when he found who it was coming from. Robby was now standing in front of Bella, his little arms down at his sides, and his eyes locked on the sky as he jumped and giggled. It was moments like this that he thanked God for the ability to get to him before it was too late, while Caleb had paid the ultimate price, he had saved his little brother. It made Edward sick to think about what would have happened had Robby been in their care for much longer.

Edward had gone back to that house, days after the last flame was put out, and forced himself to go back into that basement to take pictures. He wanted proof—he didn't know what he would need it for since both of his parents were dead but wanted to be on the safe side. He needed to file them, anyway, but it had been one of the harder things he'd ever done. While there, the original plan was to take a few of Robby's things home for him but realized there was nothing there but ratty, dirty clothes. He didn't want the objects in that room anywhere near that little boy again.

After investigating further, a detective found pictures they had hidden out in a shed on their property. There was no doubt that Robby was sexually abused, if the scars around his lower body weren't proof enough, those picture were. If Robert Joseph Davareax had any family at all out there, he'd make sure they were kept away from his son. Robby wasn't going to live anywhere but with him and Bella—he suspected the adoption outcome from the moment he'd seen the little boy in the hospital. Of course, he had to allow Bella to make the decision with him and he had to assure himself that it was a safe situation for Kaley to be in.

"Daddy?" Kaley asked, touching his cheek and pulling him back to reality. "When can we go home and get the baby?"

**Well, there you have it. In accordance with the fourth of July that just passed, Robby experienced his first firework show...and he was a trooper. I know this chapter may have given some a toothache, I must have been in a fluffy mood, but next chapter is back to the grind...and a trip to Seattle! Love all your awesome reviews! For all you kinky people out there, voting is now happening for the FetLifeAtTwilight contest. I can't say which one I entered but you should check out the stories, they are all very good! LP xxoo**


	47. Chapter 47

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~For those who are concerned with the Rose/Em situation or are just plain confused, read the a/n at the bottom. It's long and I apologize but I feel it all needs to be clarified. **

**Chapter 47**

"Ah, home sweet home!" Edward said, carrying in a sleeping Kaley and taking her back to her bedroom. They had been on the road all day and he could tell his daughter would be out for a little while. Robby on the other hand was skipping into the house with a stuffed starfish Edward had bought for him from the little souvenir shop they visited that morning. Both kids got to pick something to bring home—of course Kaley wanted a hermit crab—and after asking permission from Bella, Kermit the Crab's new home was now Forks.

Robby still hesitated to ask for food but still scarfed it down like it was his last meal. He had to smile though, Robby skipped right to the kitchen and stopped, as if trying to non-verbally hint that he was hungry. When he'd first come to live with them, they had gotten his medical papers from the doctor before they left the hospital. He wasn't allergic to anything—that they knew of, which caused Bella to go insane the first couple of weeks being so leery of peanuts, seafood, and anything else Robby didn't think twice about shoving into his mouth.

Edward could tell from the color of Robby's skin and the way his little stomach was slightly distended that Robby was starving, literally, and he vowed to never deny that little boy food—unless extremely necessary. Bella walked in behind him, carrying the hermit crab container and a pillow since he refused to let her carry anything else and went straight up to the kitchen, obviously thinking the same thing he was. Maybe she was hungry, though, too. They had stopped for lunch but he felt awful he didn't consider stopping for dinner...it was six o'clock...

"Edward, you okay?" Bella asked, looking at him with worry.

"When's the appointment? Did you talk to the doctor?"

"Yes. We're meeting with her tomorrow at four thirty, right after you get off work. I'll meet you there."

"What if..."

"Don't start. Go unload the car all by yourself since you won't let me even carry in the little things and I'll start you supper. You are not anxiously going to build a case against this pregnancy before we even see the doctor. In fact, you're supposed to see Dr. Varner this weekend, perhaps you should bring it up. I don't want you having anxiety problems for the next eight months..."

"I'll say something about it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he said thoughtfully.

"It's fine. Tuna salad and macaroni okay? I don't feel like turning the oven on."

"That's perfect. Let Robby have something little, though while you work on it."

Edward left work early the next day, meeting Bella at home rather than at the doctors office. She had been surprised and he could tell she was just as anxious as he was about the trip. After waiting for about fifteen long minutes, they were finally called back to an exam room. He had never been in a OBGYN's office, obviously Tanya didn't want him there with her during her pregnancy and he'd been fine with it...mostly. He hated that he never got to know what was really happening with his daughter. "Bella, Mr. Cullen, it's nice to see you," the nurse began. After going through Bella's chart and asking the typical questions she smiled, "I'm assuming since you're both here that we're either _trying_ to have a baby or already _are _having a baby..."

Bella smiled and nodded her head, "We tried for a year and it finally worked. I think I'm about five or six weeks..."

"Okay, let just do a blood test to be sure and we'll check your sugar and things as well. Here is your gown, you may use the bathroom to get undressed and the doctor will be in shortly."

Edward watched the young nurse leave and looked over at his young wife. The realization hit him that it could be a 'false positive' and he began to feel sick. Bella stood up to head towards the bathroom, "Edward, it's okay. Relax."

"I'm sorry, love."

Once she was changed and sitting on the exam table beside him, they heard talking and shuffling outside, and the doctor walked in. "Hello, Bella! So, we think it worked, huh? I know you went off the birth control a while ago...You must be Mr. Cullen, it's nice to meet you."

"Edward."

"Alright, then, Edward. We're just going to take some blood from your wife and we'll find out what's going on. Bella, did you take a pregnancy test? Is this how we decided you're pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's prove it right and then we'll talk." While the nurse got busy with the blood tubes, the doctor looked over her charts. Edward saw Bella sway a little and stood up.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" the nurse asked Bella, looking up in concern.

"I'm sorry...I'm...a little dizzy..."

"Just a little bit more..." a few seconds later she was done and Edward was holding Bella's shoulders up.

"Edward, I don't feel..." he watched in horror as she swayed again.

"Bella, I need you to lie back and relax. Don't think about the blood, the needle, nothing," Edward helped her get comfy and the nurse came back with a cookie for her. "Have you been dizzy throughout the pregnancy?"

"No."

"It's probably just a reaction to seeing the blood." After performing an exam on his wife, something Edward found interesting to watch-and was glad as hell it wasn't a male doctor, the doctor threw her gloves away. "It'll be a few minutes yet until we have the results. I have another patient two rooms down so I'll go take care of her and by then we should know what's going on. I won't ask you to leave, I know you aren't feeling well. Edward, if there are any problems just come out to the front desk and get someone."

"Thank you," he said, looking back at Bella.

After another twenty minutes, she was back, papers in hand. "How are we feeling?"

"Better," Bella said, her color had returned and the cookie was gone.

"That's good, mommy, it means the baby is doing fine as well."

Edward hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath since she'd walked in but he released it and hugged Bella. He had never felt so relieved. "I take it from your husbands reaction, we had a little trouble conceiving," the doctor stated.

"Yeah. We tried for a while," Bella said with a small laugh.

"Does that mean she's at risk for something?" Edward asked.

"No. It doesn't. Not getting pregnant could just simply be a problem with stress...I mean there's so many influences on it. Do you two have any other questions?"

"Well, I mean, she's small...that won't hurt her or the baby throughout the pregnancy?"

"It shouldn't. There's no reason. I've seem women who are considered underweight give birth naturally with no problem. It depends on the person, though I don't see any red flags. Her blood pressure is normal, her sugar is a little low—so we will have to watch that but I see no reason to worry right now. Bella, what do you do for a living?"

"I teach third grade."

"Ah, you're on your feet a lot. Can I tell you something? Teachers and people who stand all day, typically have easier deliveries. You're going to do fine."

"Anything else, Edward?" the doctor asked, obviously amused with his curiosity—and worry.

"Actually, we have two little kids. Both five. Is it okay for her to carry them?"

"Um...I'm going to say no. I want you to be careful lifting. If it's necessary then I guess but let daddy handle it, okay Bella?" His wife gave a small smile and Edward knew she wasn't happy with this piece of information. The doctor looked back at the chart, "Is this your second pregnancy? Were there twins?"

"No," Bella answered. "I adopted Kaley when we were married. She's Edward's daughter from a previous marriage. Robby is the same age but we are fostering him right now and going to be starting the adoption process with him as well."

"Well, good luck, guys. Just watch the stress and be careful. Use common sense. I'll give you a prescription for your vitamins and I want to see you in two weeks to check your blood again. There is also a paper I will give you with things you shouldn't eat. Dad seems to know what questions to ask and I'm sure he's been through this before..."

"Actually, he wasn't," Bella said shyly, then realized the doctor was just confused, "His wife and him broke it off after she was pregnant. She turned rights to Kaley over to him the day she had the baby..."

"Wow. Well, Edward, I must say, it's been a pleasure meeting you. Perhaps you could give some pointers to some of our other dads," laughed the doctor. Edward just smiled. He only did what he thought was right.

"Uncle Jakey, Uncle Jakey, Uncle Jakey!" Kaley was yelling, bouncing in her booster seat as they pulled up in front a Bella's Seattle childhood home.

"Honey, we're visiting Pappy and Grammy. Uncle Jake is at home, bug, but we'll visit later." Bella glanced over at Edward, knowing Jake was a sore spot for him and the fact that Kaley was so excited to see Bella's oldest friend concerned her. Bella wondered how she herself was going to take seeing Jake, knowing he wouldn't be the person she remembered. Who could be after what he'd been through?

Edward opened the door to get Robby out and Bella could see the strain on his face as she helped Kaley out. Her mom and dad came out to meet them and Edward picked Robby up, seeing that he was scared. "Grammy!" Kaley said, bounding over and hugging Renee.

"There's my sweet Kaley! How are you, honey?" Renee asked, getting eye level.

"Good," Kaley shrugged simply and moved on to her pappy.

While Charlie picked her up and shook hands with Edward, Bella introduced everyone. "Robby, this is my mom and dad. They're very nice. Just like daddy's mommy and daddy."

Everyone watched in anticipation as he peered at them, as if sizing them up. "Honey," Renee said calmly, "I made brownies for you. They're in the house. Would you like one?"

Bella laughed as Robby nodded and smiled, squiggling so Edward would put him down. It surprised everyone when Renee held out her hand to him and he took it, walking with her into the house. Renee even looked back and smiled while everyone followed. Bella could hear Charlie congratulating Edward and asking how she was doing, even though she was right there. She didn't mind though, knowing it was a guy thing. When they were all seated around the kitchen table, chowing down on brownies and milk, they heard Billy come in. "Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Billy, did Jake come over with you?" Bella asked, glancing over at Robby.

"No. He's at the house. I...uh..."

"Can I see him?" Bella asked, setting down her brownie.

Billy sighed and nodded his head, "I'll go over with you..."

"It's fine, I remember how to get there," laughed Bella, standing up.

"Bells..." Edward began.

"Edward, I'll be fine. It's just Jake," Bella said, rolling her eyes.

Heading outside she walked over to his house and found him on the front porch in a pair of old shorts and a US Army t-shirt. The sleeves were cut off and she couldn't help but notice his arms were bigger than she remembered. She also noticed his smooth, black hair was now gone so that it was just stubble from being buzzed off. It was hard seeing him this way...and when he stood up as she approached, she fought the urge to cry. The whole part of his right leg, at least what she could see, was bandaged and he grabbed his crutches, "Bella..."

When he spoke her name, she lost it. Striding over to him, she nearly knocked him over from the impact of her hug, considering he only had one leg to balance on. "Jake...you had me so worried and..."

"It's okay, Bells. I'll be as good as new once I get this damn cast off. I know you're getting all hormonal on me, what with being pregnant and all," he said playfully, pushing her hair behind her ear and kissing her on the cheek.

Bella had no idea why everyone was so concerned about Jake, he was no different than she remembered him. Physically, of course he had changed but he was still him. "Shut up, Black. I'm emotional because I've barely heard from my best friend in a year and a half...and haven't seen them for just as long!"

"Ally moved away?" Jake asked jokingly with a smirk.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Sorry, I was talking about Embry," she shot back.

"Oh, that hurts," he laughed, bringing a hand to his heart.

Bella led him back over to the swing and they sat down together. "I'm glad you're home, Jake. I'm sorry I wasn't here to say that a week ago."

"No big deal. I'm glad you were having fun on vacation..." From somewhere down the road, a car door slammed and Jake immediately straightened. Jerking his good leg back, he nearly made the swing tip over with them on it. Bella saw that his hands were trembling slightly and he pulled a cigarette from his jeans pocket.

"Since when do you smoke?" Bella asked, surprised.

"Since now..." Jake said, sounding bitter.

"Sorry..." Bella began but was interrupted by Edward, Billy and Charlie making their way back over. "Hey, guys!"

"Hey," Edward said, looking Bella up and down as if inspecting her and then shaking Jake's hand. "How are ya, man?"

"Not so great, Cullen. I heard things were going well for you. A bun in the oven, huh?" The way he said it made Bella cringe, this wasn't how he had been with her.

"Yeah," Edward answered awkwardly.

"Alright, why don't we all have a nice cookout here? I bought a few things...like steaks and hamburgers..." Billy started, trying to break the obvious tension.

"I'd like that," Bella put in, watching her dad assess the Edward/Jake situation.

"That would be wonderful, Mr. Black, thank you."

Jake pushed himself off the swing, grabbed the crutches, and with much effort made his way into the house. "I'm sorry for him, Bells. He..."

"...was fine until you guys showed up. I swear Billy, he didn't do anything or say anything that upset me until after you guys came over..."

"Jake's been through a lot. He's a little more...rough around the edges since he's come home. I'm hoping it's just a phase."

"Well, he was fine with me, he was a little skittish over the car door shutting down the road but he was fine..."

"Edward why don't you help me in the kitchen?" Billy interrupted, motioning for Edward to follow him.

Charlie sat down beside her, "Bella, Jake's having some trouble...adjusting...to the life he has here. We're hoping with time he'll snap out of it but since he's been home he snaps at Billy and doesn't like to go out. He hasn't seen any of his friends except you and Embry, who stopped by the house. His friends try to get him to go out for a few drinks or whatever and he refuses them every time..."

"This isn't fair, dad," Bella protested, "It's Jake. He'd never hurt anyone, he signed on for this because he thought he was doing the right thing. It's not his fault."

"It's not but this isn't uncommon, honey," Charlie reassured his daughter with an apologetic look.

After the little talk she had with her dad, Bella knew she had a hard decision to make but also knew that Edward had to have a say in it. First, was it okay to expose Kaley to Jake's new personality and second, what should they do about Robby? She found her husband making hamburgers in the kitchen, smashing the meat together to make the patties. "You okay?" he asked when he saw her, obviously knowing what Charlie had talked to her about.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Really, he was fine with me," Bella said again. "So, um, what are we going to do about the kids? Kaley is going to be devastated if we keep her away from him this whole trip..."

"Both of them are napping right now, your mom is watching them. Let's just get through dinner and we'll see how things go."

"And if they wake up before dinner is over?" Bella asked, slightly annoyed. She had to remind herself that this wasn't his fault.

"Look, I feel slightly comfortable allowing Kaley to see him, I don't think he'd to anything to hurt her. I don't feel comfortable at all with Robby, though. He doesn't need to be exposed to someone who angers easily and I feel the need to keep him from that. I'm sorry."

"So that's it. I don't get a say in it?" Bella watched as Billy ducked out of the kitchen, respectfully giving them privacy.

"It's not like that..."

"Then what, Edward?"

"Stop and think, Bella," Edward said, lowering his voice, "that little boy is never going to forgive us if Jake snaps in front of him. You saw how quickly he warmed up to your parents today. If something goes wrong with Jake it will be about twenty steps backwards. Just let me see how things go with dinner. If Jake can handle dinner then we'll introduce them but I'm not leaving them alone. I'm going to protect that little boy, even if it's not something physical but something he needs protected from emotionally."

Bella saw his point but it still hurt. Jake had always been someone she could talk to. Now, she wasn't even able to introduce him to the child she considered her own. "I'm going over to check on the kids," she said, letting Edward know she wasn't going to argue with him.

"What are we going to do about dinner? I can eat over there..."

"The baby monitors we have from when Jake and I were little are still on my desk in my old room. They have a ridiculously strong signal and we'll be able to hear them from our house if they wake up."

"Bella?" Edward asked as she went to make her way out of the kitchen. She pulled the door open and looked at him expectantly. "I'm sorry. I hate that things are like this. If I could fix it I would..."

"Well, you can't. I'll be back over a little later."

**Sorry it took so long to update. It's crunch time: one month as of yesterday until the wedding. Please be patient, you know I hate not being able to update daily. It might be every other day for a while. Thank you for all of your support. I do have a question that was brought up that I want to answer, since I suck at finding time to reply to reviews. Rose and Em are not getting a divorce, at least not now, which is why they are deciding to see a counselor and work on their problems. Rose did not cheat. Emmett assumed she did, as did a few others, but the guy who grabbed her ass and kissed her cheek only got that far. She was hurt that Emmett was so willing to get angry with her yet not even say anything to the guy. She and Em had been fighting a lot lately and this is what caused everything to snap. When she said to Edward that she did something stupid and he wouldn't forgive her, she was referring to the fact that she asked Emmett for a divorce, that she was giving up on their marriage. Nobody really knew that, not even Edward, at the time she said that to Edward. He was just trying to urge her to talk to Emmett by saying that Emmett would forgive her if she was just honest with him, he didn't know what she needed to be honest about. I never meant for this to be so confusing lol I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to update tomorrow, though no promises. Love you all, LP xxoo**


	48. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes. I also do NOT own _The Legend of Jelly Bean and the Unbreakable Egg _by Joe Troiano, although, I highly recommend it to anyone with small children. We use it in my classroom for bully prevention and the kids all love it. It carries the perfect message, one that I think even us adults need to be reminded of once in awhile. **

**Chapter 48**

"Al, Jake is...he's really...messed up...No. I mean, at least he wasn't with me. He was fine, the same old Jake. Edward's trying to be nice about it, we both agreed to let him around Kaley if things seem okay. I don't think we're going to let him meet Robby,though. I know. I never expected this; not in a million years." Edward walked around the side of the house, finding Bella on her parents front porch, and hearing her conversation with Alice. He watched as his wife began to cry and his heart went out to her. While Jake may have anger problems, it was because he was suffering. In the time that they had been planning the wedding, up until when he left, and even when Jake came to visit, he'd been fine. He was fine with Edward, fine with their relationship, and fine with his daughter—who came to love the guy.

When Bella saw him, she told Alice she'd keep her posted and hung up. "Edward, hey..." her voice trailed off and she looked at him like she didn't know what to expect.

Stepping up to the porch, he sat down and put an arm around her. "I know this is hard, love." Bella didn't say anything, just sat there with tears in her eyes. He supposed there really wasn't anything to say. "How upset are you with me about the kids?"

She shook her head and wiped at her eyes, "I'm not...I just...never thought...he'd be like this. Jake loved..._loves_ Kaley. He even asked me about her when we were on the phone the other day."

"I know. I also didn't say he couldn't see her at all, I just want to be around him a little more to be sure. Kaley is...how should I put this...I don't have a word for it," smiled Edward. "She goes with the flow. I know he's not going to hurt her physically...and with Kaley...he'd have to murder someone in front of her for her to be afraid of him. I'm concerned for Robby because he gets scared when Kaley yells too loud or if the neighbor's dog barks."

"I know all of that. I know you're right. I just need a little while to...absorb...all of this."

"I know. I really wish your parents had told us all this before we got here. We could have left the kids with my parents...just had us come...ya know?"

"Yeah. Could we have left Robby that long, though?"

"We could have tried. He's a lot better with them. I could have gone home if things became a problem. Bella, I know this has to be hard, it's like he's a completely different person but he's not _dead_. He's alive and now he's safe. He's just...a little broken now."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Edward asked, confused.

"I love you for being supportive of him. I kind of feel like people have given up on him already."

"No one's giving up on him, Bells. He just needs time. Billy and Charlie both talked to me about things. He's seeing a counselor...and well..._seeing_ a counselor..."

"What?" Bella asked, now it was her time to be confused.

"Apparently, one of the Seattle Hospital nurses took a liking to him. She's a certified counselor."

To his surprise, Bella broke out into hysterical laughter, "Leave it to Jake...not moving on until he lost his mind..."

Edward laughed at the irony of it but a part of him couldn't help but feel relieved. He didn't know what exactly the relief was from, knowing Jake was finding someone else or seeing that Bella was laughing. He hadn't realized how amazing that sound was until he went a few hours without hearing it. "So, how's our little one doing?" he asked, putting his hand down on her stomach.

"Hungry."

"Let's go eat, then. I have a feeling the kids are going to be asleep for awhile. Do these things really work?" he asked, picking up the old, dusty monitor.

"Come on, I'll show you."

Turning it on, she took his hand and they headed two houses away to where they were all eating dinner. Sure enough, the soft breathing sounds of his daughter and son came across the monitor in his hand. They were both sound asleep in the Swan's living room. Robby hadn't slept well the night before and it wasn't a big surprise that he would be tired enough to sleep out in the open. "Told ya it would work," Bella smirked. "This is how Jake and I communicated when I got grounded from the phone."

Edward laughed, thinking of a young Bella sneaking out to see her friend, though knowing her, she probably would have fallen out of the window and broken her neck if she attempted it. That made him frown but he laughed again as Bella, as if on cue, tripped over the carpet. He grabbed her before she could fall. Yep, that was his wife.

"Hello?" a small voice called from the front door they had just come through. The house was older and Edward listened as footsteps sounded above them and then came down the stairs. "Chelsea, hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, how are you doing?" the girl who must be Chelsea replied.

Edward had let Bella go after saving her from the fall and she was now helping Billy bring over a big plate of corn on the cob to the table. He thought about yelling at her for carrying such a heavy one but kept his mouth shut, it was just corn. Instead, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed it to Charlie, who he noticed was empty.

When Jacob came in with a tiny blonde at his side, everyone became silent. Jake cleared his throat and said, after rolling his eyes, "Edward, Bella, this is Chelsea. I think you already met everyone else," he added, looking to her for confirmation.

"Yup. It's nice meeting you both. Bella, I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to see you in person..."

"Yeah. Nice meeting you," Bella said with a small smile. Edward could only describe her look as amused and he relaxed, glad it wasn't jealousy he saw, he didn't know if he could handle that.

"Well, everyone, let's eat," Billy said, breaking the awkward silence.

Edward watched as Bella sat down beside her mom and he took the seat between her and Billy. After another long pause with no one saying anything, Chelsea spoke. "So, Bella, I heard you're expecting. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Bella said, chewing a mouthful of food.

"I bet you two are both so excited and, Mrs. Swan, is this your first grandchild?"

Edward tensed, curious for his mother-in-laws answer, "No, honey. Bella and Edward have two other little ones. They're five."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bella. You just seem so young. I didn't realize...it was rude of me," Chelsea finally got out and began picking at her food.

Bella looked at him, as if wondering what she should say, so Edward just nodded and started to explain. "It's fine, Chelsea. Kaley is my daughter from a previous marriage, Bella is Jake's age..."

"Right, sorry..."

"It's fine, really. Robby is a little boy who we're fostering but we want to adopt him and we're just now starting the process..."

"You decided to go through with it?" Renee asked, looking a little surprised and Edward saw that Charlie was now watching them. He loved the guy, but damn was chief Swan intimidating.

Bella took this one, "He's ours, mom. We can't let him go. We definitely can't let him back into the system..."

"System?" Billy asked, obviously confused. Bella said that she'd told Billy about Robby but he obviously didn't know all of the details.

"Robby was an abused boy who was actually a client of mine," he glanced over at Chelsea, "I'm a social worker. Anyway, both his parents were killed in a fire. We took him in. I don't want him to get into the foster service system because he's scared of strangers enough already. I can't throw him into it. I won't."

"That's going to be a lot of stress, don't ya think? Especially with Bella being pregnant," Charlie commented.

"He's adjusting really well, dad. This is a decision that Edward and I came to together and we're going to follow through with it," Bella said, a little more harshly than necessary.

"He's just worried about you, Bella," Jake said, clenching his fork. Chelsea glanced over at Jake and Edward watched her rub his arm in a comforting way.

"I'm fine, Jake, really. We even told the doctor about adopting Robby. Edward's parents are really great with helping out. We're all going to be fine. All five of us," she said, letting her hand rest on her stomach.

"Jake," Edward said calmly, "I would never let anything bad happen to her. You know that."

Chelsea finally released Jake's arm and went back to her food. "I'm sorry. Dad, excuse me, I need...a break..."

After he got up from the table, Chelsea shook her head. "He's having a rough day. He'll come around. I think he just needs some sleep. Is he taking the sleeping pills?"

"No," Billy answered. "I don't think he's touched the bottle since we got home from the hospital. He says they make him tired..."

"They're _sleeping_ pills. That's kind of the point."

"I know but you try to tell him that."

"I'll talk to him later, when there isn't an audience," she sighed.

When the dishes were being collected, Renee pulled a pie she had brought over from her house out of the refrigerator. As she dished it out, Jake made his way back in. Before sitting down, he shook his head, "I'm sorry. Edward, Bella...I just worry about her, too. Ya know?"

"I know." Edward did know.

"Alright, Jake, you get the first piece of pie. Consider this a late 'welcome home' party."

Edward watched Jake smile and saw his wife smile in turn, he saw that Bella had hope for her friend. Before everyone had pie in front of them, a cackling started on the monitor and he heard Kaley. Standing up, Edward grabbed his pie and went to go check on the kids. "There's my princess," Jake's face lit up as soon as he heard Kaley's voice over the old monitor.

"Bella, you know what? Why don't you get a plate ready for Robby and meet me over there? I'll bring Kaley over here to eat if you can get Robby settled."

"I'll go with, Bella," Renee said, already starting to get that plate of food ready for her grandson, "that way she can come back over."

"Sounds like a plan," Edward said with a smile.

"Are you sure about this?" Bella asked her husband as they made her way back to her parents.

"I think it might be good for Jake to see her. I'll be there, as well as Charlie and Billy. She'll be okay. I just don't trust him with Robby...yet."

That was enough for Bella, as she knew Kaley would ask to see Jake soon. Her daughter didn't disappoint. "Uncle Jakey!" she said, as soon as they opened the door to the front room. Kaley and Robby were both still on the couches and Robby seemed a little out of it.

"Yes. We'll go see Uncle Jakey," Bella laughed, going to pick her up.

"Bells...hey...she can walk. Right, little bug?" Kaley looked at him but then nodded her head and hopped off the couch to take his hand.

She felt like an idiot...and a terrible mother. She just wasn't used to being pregnant. Any other time if her kids wanted held, she'd hold them, it was always that simple. Now, she had to remember that it would put strain on her unborn baby. Renee sat down on the couch beside Robby, showing him the plate of food. His eyes widened and Renee helped him sit down in front of the coffee table to eat his own burger. Robby was the only child Bella knew that would eat every bit of food on his plate, no matter how adult-sized the portions were.

Kaley and Edward raced each other back to the Black's house and Bella followed a little more slowly, watching the two of them together was always her favorite thing to do. When they got to the house, they waited for her and went in together. Jake had a smile plastered onto his face, in turn making Bella smile. Kaley seemed to sense that her father was concerned about something and looked up at him. "Go ahead, Kal's," he encouraged and she took off for Jake.

"Hey, princess," Jake said as she flung herself at him.

"Uncle Jakey!"

With that, Edward watched in complete shock as Jacob Black came undone. He didn't snap at Kaley or yell or anything else that would worry anyone. Instead, he hugged her to himself and began to cry. Edward wasn't too much of an asshole to say he never cried, he cried often, but it's hard watching another man break down in front of you that way. No one really knew what to do. Kaley, bless her soul, just held on.

"I'm glad you're home, Uncle Jake," Kaley said after a long moment.

Bella had allowed Kaley to talk to Jake on the rare chances that he'd call while on tour. Throughout the years, Bella would put pictures and things that Kaley would draw for him into the letters Bella was writing. Edward knew she didn't want Kaley to forget who he was.

"It's good to be home, princess."

"Then why are you sad?"

"I'm not, Kaley. I'm very, very happy. I missed everyone very much."

"Are you going to stay home?"

"I think so."

Later that evening, Bella and Edward made their way back home with Kaley in tow. "Let's go for a ride around the city," Bella suggested.

"Do you want to drive? I'm still not great at remembering the roads and things around here."

"Yeah. No problem. I'm really bummed Alice and Jasper couldn't come with us. I bet Jake would have liked to see her."

"Maybe we can come back in a few weeks. Leave the kids at home with mom and dad..." Edward hinted, obviously wanting to be able to explore the night life of the city.

"Sounds awesome. So what do you think of Chelsea?" Bella asked, changing the subject.

"What do_ I_ think of her?" Edward laughed, amused.

"Yeah..."

"I think she's hot..." Edward said, in a completely joking around fashion.

Bella laughed and slapped his arm, "Watch it, Cullen."

"Sorry, Mrs. Cullen. I wouldn't notice because I was looking at my sexy, brunet, wife. The very young, blonde nurse seems to be very nice," Edward said, still joking around, then getting serious. "Honestly, though, I think she's good for him. I mean, she obviously knows what she's doing and she has a calming effect on him. What could be better for someone with psychological problems than dating a counselor?"

"That's how I feel about it, too. I just wanted to get someone else's opinion."

"I'm surprised with what happened when he saw Kaley. I mean, I knew he wasn't going to hurt her, I'm not worried he's going to hurt Robby even, I just don't want him to scare the little guy. Who would have thought he'd get that upset?"

"I was surprised, too. Like, really, really surprised. I see what you were trying to say, Kaley really does just roll with things. She didn't even think it was strange..."

"That's my girl. I'm strange enough. She's used to it," Edward laughed and called Kaley back over. They were now all sitting on the porch while Renee was in the kitchen with Robby, letting him finish his hot chocolate—even though it was the middle of summer.

"Well, I have to pee before we leave. Kaley, you should try, too. We're going to go for a car ride."

"Can we go to the library?" she asked hopefully.

"It's closed now, honey," Bella smiled, they had taken Kaley there the last time, introducing her to the little old ladies Bella used to work with. They, of course, had spoiled her with candies, bookmarks, and even gave her a book to keep. "We can go tomorrow, alright?"

"Can Uncle Jake go?" Kaley asked.

"We'll see," said Edward, answering for Bella, who was giving him a big smile.

Bella loved pointing out all of her favorite places to go as a kid to Kaley, who just sat back and took it in. She'd been told most of the stories already, as had Edward, but they didn't want to ruin her fun. Robby was just hearing them for the first time and was absorbing all the lights as well as his mother's words. Edward kept stealing glances back at his son and smiling. They stopped and got ice cream but Robby had a tough time with the busy sidewalks. Edward carried him practically the whole time and Bella could tell her husband was getting tired.

They got home a little later than planned and Kaley had fallen asleep in the car. Edward carried her in while Bella got Robby out and into the house. He was tired and rubbing his eyes while Bella got down to be eye level with him, "Do you want to sleep on the couch, buddy?"

He looked at the couch and then back at her. Earlier that day, he'd been so tired he'd fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. She hadn't thought about the fact that the only other room besides her parent's was her own from when she was still living there. Robby still had trouble sleeping with people around, preferring to be somewhere where he could close his door. "Alright," Bella answered for him, seeing how worried he looked, "let's get you tucked in in my bed upstairs."

She looked around for Edward but he'd gotten Kaley settled and went up to go to the bathroom. Instead of waiting for him, she held her hand out and led Robby upstairs. She showed him around and finally got to her old room, they had to be quiet because her parents were asleep. She dug through the suitcases Edward had brought up earlier until she found a pair of pajamas for him and helped him get changed. When he was ready, she took him to brush his teeth and then sat down on the bed and patted it for him to join her.

With a small smile, he climbed up and she pulled the covers over him. "Would you like a story tonight, sweetie?"

He nodded his head and she reached beside her where she had kept some of the children's books she'd had from her college literature class her first few years. She found a book that was perfect for him, _The Legend of_ _Jelly Bean and the Unbreakable Egg_. It was nowhere near Easter but it was perfect. She opened it and began to read. The rhyming scheme made Robby smile as he cuddled into her side and she rested her head on his. It was about six eggs, five of which hatched at the same time, and another that wouldn't.

As the farmer took the eggs to dye, he picked up the sixth chick, not realizing it was a friend of the others. In the end, they saved the egg before it could be taken by the humans but then they tried to open it. They used tactics such as smacking and hitting the egg, trying to crack it. Once they came together and warmed the egg, it finally hatched. The moral of the story was simple, there was more than one way to crack an egg, and violence was never the answer.

Bella looked down at Robby, thinking he was asleep, instead he was awake and still looking at the book. "I love you," he finally said so softly that Bella wouldn't have heard it had the house been not so quiet. Her parents were asleep and Edward still hadn't made it up to them. Tears formed in Bella's eyes as she looked down at him. "I love you, too, Robby. I love you very, very much."

After holding him like that for a little while longer, she tucked him in tighter and kissed him on the cheek. As she was leaving, she left the bedside lamp on but threw a dark purple handkerchief over it to make it dimmer. Shutting the door, she went to find her husband.

**Woohoo! 900 reviews! I am so happy with all the support I've been getting from everyone...it's astounding. I was a little surprised by the Bella backlash that was received after the last chapter. When I was writing her for it, I didn't realize the things that she said would be construed as her being a mean, selfish person. I'm sorry if I upset anyone with the way I wrote her but I don't really know how to fix that...so it's going to stay that way. The story is going in the direction I had planned and we're going to stay on that track. I'm loving all the feedback though, either way. Please keep it up. My fiance's bachelor party is tomorrow...eeek...so I should have some time to write. I can't promise an update, though, but I'll try my best. Your words mean the world to me. LP xx**


	49. Chapter 49

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Warning: Contains discussion (again) of Robby's past situation. It had to be done and you probably are okay with it if you're still with me but I just wanted to throw that in there.**

**Chapter 49**

Edward woke up to his daughter sitting on his chest and breathing down on him. As his eyes fluttered open, she smiled, "Morning, daddy. Mommy puked!"

He was wide awake then, looking beside him and remembering that they were at her parent's house and he was in a sleeping bag on the floor. "Where is she, bug?"

"In the bathroom. Grammy Renee told me to give her pwivacy."

Edward kissed his daughter's cheek as he sat up and unzipped the bag. His back was killing him and he realized he could barely bend over to pick up the remote. Flipping on the TV, he told Kaley he'd be back and strode upstairs. He heard it before he saw it and when he opened the door, he did it in just enough time to see the remnants from the burger and ice cream Bella had eaten the night before make an appearance.

"Baby, why didn't you get your mom to wake me up?" he asked, grabbing her hair and pulling it back with a hair tie that was sitting on the sink.

When she was able to talk, she wiped her mouth with a wash cloth she was holding and said, "Please go. I don't want you to have to see this..."

"How often have you gotten sick like this?" he asked, ignoring her.

"Today's the first day...I was hoping maybe I'd miss the morning sickness. I was wrong..." she was interrupted as she put her head over the toilet again.

Edward rubbed circles on her back and tried to not let her see him looking anywhere but at the white bowl she was aiming for. "I'm not leaving you like this, love. We're in this together."

About twenty minutes later, Bella finally felt confident in her ability to leave the bathroom. She had to laugh when she saw Kaley watching TV upside down on the couch—she had her head hanging down and her legs up on the back rest. She remembered back to when she was little, when she did the exact same thing in this exact same house.

"How are you feeling, honey?" her mom asked, handing her some hot tea.

"Awful. I know it's worth it, though. I knew what I was getting myself into when we were trying."

"That's the spirit," replied Renee, patting Bella's arm.

Bella heard an extreme fit of giggles come from the living room and saw her mother look behind her and burst out laughing. Her six foot tall husband had joined his daughter—and now his son, who was attempting to copy his dad and sister— to watch a little upside down TV. Bella laughed but couldn't help shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Mom, I have a feeling I have four kids instead of only three..."

"Come on, honey!" Edward called, jokingly. "Come join us. You can't properly appreciate Big Bird until you've seen him upside down!"

"I have a feeling hanging upside down would not help my upset stomach, but that thanks for the offer," Bella laughed back, following her mother into the kitchen and leaving the three of them to pretend they were bats.

"I feel awful about the sleeping arrangements, Bells..." Renee started, giving her a sympathetic look.

"Don't. We should have thought about that before we came out here. Kaley would have been happy sleeping anywhere but Robby just isn't ready to share a bedroom."

"What are you going to do about the new baby? What if the new little one is a boy?"

"We're working on warming the kids up to either one. Robby actually asked for a little boy. Edward said later that he was surprised by that because Robby never mentions Caleb, his brother who died in the fire with his parents. We're wondering if Caleb had a part in Robby's abuse and Edward suspected it from the beginning...I can't imagine..."

"Don't try," Renee said, taking a sip of her own tea. "You can't dwell on his past, just give him a good future."

"Well, to answer your question, I'm not really sure what we're going to do about the bedroom situation. We planned to use the office as a nursery but that's Robby's room now. Edward mentioned wanting to do something with the basement. It's finished, it's not like a cement room, and he was thinking about putting up walls to make rooms downstairs. I just don't like the idea of putting the baby down there and Robby won't even go _down_ the stairs...there's no way we can put him down there—no matter how nicely carpeted and painted it is."

"Well, I'm willing to bet Kaley wouldn't be too upset about it. I never met a happier little girl."

"That's what Edward is leaning towards, I think. Either way, we need to figure things out."

"Well, you have a good bit of time to get to work on the downstairs. Even when the baby is first born you can keep him or her with you in the bedroom."

"We have a bassinet from when Kaley was a baby. Edward just kept her with him at night instead of going back and forth between rooms. It was probably that way for her first few months of life."

"Are you ready for this, honey? Are you excited? Scared?" Renee asked, obviously remembering back to what it was like for herself.

"Both," Bella laughed. "I want this. I want this so, so badly. It's just going to be a lot different than what we're used to."

"It's a newborn baby," Renee nodding, knowingly. "The good thing is you and Edward are very stable and very loving people. You're lucking out with this one. Your husband has been through this already...your father had no clue what he was doing. The day we brought you home from the hospital, he tried to bath you in the bathtub...without a baby tub in it! It took me awhile to quit yelling at him before even explaining that you don't just try to put a newborn in the bathtub. I mean, he didn't just drop you in but he also couldn't figure out why it was so difficult to hold you and bath you at the same time. Oh, and you screamed...you always screamed during bath times..."

Bella just shook her head and changed the subject. "I know Edward's been through this before and I guess I just don't like to think about it. In a way I'm lucky but I also missed out on Kaley's life then. I'm scared now, I couldn't imagine how scared he must have been."

"Yeah but you don't see the father/daughter bond those two have often, Bells. It's very, very sweet. We both know she loves you very much but Edward is her entire world. Five years later and he's still her number one. Kids aren't stupid Bella. That little girl know subconsciously how much her father has done for her."

"I would never come between that, mom. I couldn't and I wouldn't want to. I just hope this little one gets to experience all of that with him as well," Bella smiled.

"This baby will. Your husband is a very excited man. You can tell he can't wait for the baby to come."

Bella sipped her tea while her mother excused herself to go get ready for the day. Bella was a little disappointed that they had to leave already but Edward had a late client on Friday, and after a bad night with Robby, they hadn't made it out until mid-Saturday afternoon. They decided to skip church, being that while it was going on, Bella was throwing up last night's dinner.

"Do you want some toast or anything, love?" Edward asked, bending down to kiss her.

"Ugh..." groaned Bella, "I guess I should..."

"The baby would probably appreciate it," cringed Edward, knowing full well it might be coming right back up. He stood and headed for the toaster when Charlie walked in.

"Morning, everyone," he said, looking like he was still half asleep, though fully dressed in his uniform.

"Morning, dad," Bella smiled, "heading in?"

"Just for a few hours. Sorry, Bells, they just called me...apparently there was a big mess made last night and I get to go try to clean it up before the D.A. gets brought into it."

"It's alright. I'm thinking about heading out a little early anyway, I'm not feeling very well. We're going to try to come back in a couple of weeks, maybe without the kids."

"Alright. Well, I'll see you guys then," he said after filling up his travel mug and giving her a quick hug and Edward a wave. Edward returned with toast for both of them and Bella was surprised when her stomach growled.

"So, do you _want_ to go home early? Are you sure you don't want to see if you're going to feel better? I'd hate for you to be sick the whole car ride home, isn't that worse than being here?"

"Edward..."

"What's wrong, love?" Bella knew he knew something was up. She hesitated, biting her lip. After all the fuss she made about how excited she was to come to Seattle, and she knew he'd taken time off from helping with training back in Forks, she was afraid of what he'd say if she told him the truth. Then again, they had learned in the beginning of their relationship that secrets seriously did not work for them.

"It's Jake," Bella began but Edward immediately interrupted her.

"What happened? Did something happen that you didn't mention..."

"No. Nothing happened. I just...I'm having trouble dealing with his new...personality," then she added quickly, "but I'm also really missing being at home..."

"Is it Chelsea?" he asked, his face falling slightly, making Bella's heart twist.

"No," Bella said firmly, setting down her half-eaten toast. "Edward, look, my dad's leaving and won't be home anyway. My mom wants to take me shopping but..."

"But what does that have to do with Jake?" Edward asked, exasperated.

"He knows about Robby, Edward. He's not stupid. I just think that it's not fair to either one of them. Robby asked me about 'Uncle Jake' this morning. After my mom told Kaley to let me vomit in peace, Kaley asked her if she could go see Jake. Robby heard and asked me why he couldn't go, too. Jake knows about Robby. Robby knows about Jake. They both know we're keeping them from each other...which I understand and I'm fine with...but it's not fair to treat Jake like he's a leper."

Edward closed his eyes and nodded, "I guess I just didn't think about it that way. I'm surprised he hasn't said anything...does he know we have him with us?"

"Yeah, I overheard him asking Billy about it," Bella said quietly, looking down at her toast again.

"You think it's easier to just leave than try to explain to them what's going on," Edward guessed.

"No. I'd rather leave than explain it to _Robby_...Jake doesn't need it spelled out for him."

"What if I talk to Jake..."

"Edward," Bella said, her voice sounding tired, "I don't think you spelling it for him is any better than me doing it."

"I was going to say, let me talk to him about Robby and why we're hesitant and if he promises to remain calm and wants to meet him, we'll let them meet."

Bella lifted her eyes, surprise on her face, "You really think that's a good idea?"

"Yes. If anything I think Kaley made yesterday easier on him," Edward said matter-of-factly. "Will you let me talk to him? Do you think it's okay to let him around Robby?"

Bella seemed thoughtful for a minute before nodding her head, "You wouldn't even consider it if you didn't have absolute faith in Jake's ability to not scare him."

"Bella, if I truly thought Jake would hurt anyone physically, I wouldn't have even let you get out of this kitchen yesterday when you went to see him on your own."

Bella watched her husband's face carefully and without a doubt, she knew that he was being truthful. If Edward truly felt she was threatened, he would have boarded up the door and tied her to a chair to keep her from harm. That was just the way he was. While it drove her insane, his over protective side was ridiculously sexy...which reminded her that their sex life had definitely started to lack...in fact they hadn't been intimate since she'd found out she was expecting. Sure they messed around in the shower once in a while but they hadn't had intercourse in almost two weeks—a record for the two of them.

He must have taken her thoughtful expression as her thinking about him talking to Jake because he left her there to contemplate things. Bella hoped and prayed things would go well. If they didn't, Edward wouldn't have to tell her twice to keep Robby away from Jake, she'd never let harm come to her little boy...or her unborn baby. So, Bella sat there, sipping her tea, and praying for the best.

Edward came up to the Black's residence but didn't feel right just walking in like Bella seemed to be. He knocked a few times before Billy came to the door. "Edward..."

"Hey, Billy, is Jake around?"

"Did he do something?" Billy asked quickly. "Bella..."

"She's fine. I just want to talk to him about meeting Robby."

"I understand you and Bella's decision, Edward. I think Jake does, too. It's not..."

"I just want to talk to him. Please."

"Alright," Billy nodded, "I'll go get him for you."

A couple minutes later, Jake came downstairs and found Edward on the porch swing. "Hey, Jake."

"What's going on?" a worried expression immediately covering his face.

"I just want to talk to you. About our son. About Robby." Jake didn't say anything, just nodded his head and sat down beside his best friend's husband.

"He's been through hell, Jake. He was literally kept in a basement on a dirty mattress, with dirty clothes, and no food for I don't even know how long. He has scars covering his entire body from the beatings some asshole, who pretended to be his father when in reality was just a fucking sperm donor, gave him for the stupidest reasons.

"You know, after the house burnt down, I never told Bella this...but I went back. I had to get pictures for his case but there really wasn't one...Anyway, I still needed documentation. So, I went back. I wanted to bring something home for Robby, home being Bella's and my place. Jake, there wasn't one damn shred of his past life I could find that wouldn't haunt _me,_ let alone him, for the rest of my life. I know Bella wasn't able to tell you a lot about him.

"When we first brought him home, we had to watch the portions of food we gave him because he would eat until he was sick. He still eats like we're going to just decide one day to quit feeding him. One time, he spilled orange juice...he was so afraid that I was going to hurt him for it, he hid from me."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I couldn't imagine..."

"I'm not telling you this to upset you. Bella and I both want you to meet him, I'm sorry for not allowing it earlier but we had to make sure you were going to be okay around him. Anyway, I just want you to remember his past and please don't be offended if he's afraid of you. It isn't you. He still won't go within two feet of Emmett and he wouldn't even let me touch him when we first met him. I'm begging you Jake, please stay calm around him. He can't handle yelling."

Jake had a look between shame and offense on his face and Edward silently begged him to understand. After awhile of both men sitting there in silence, Jake nodded his head, and began to cry. Edward noticed a tear first, then saw his shoulders shake. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I just wanted you to understand..."

"I do. I get it, okay? Edward, I can't control any of it. It's like my adrenaline is constantly pumping and my hands shake...and I get these headaches that make me want to die. I almost did it. I almost just took all of the pain pills they gave me but then Chelsea found me and stopped me...and now I'm afraid she doesn't like me. I'm scared that she's just pretending and she's going to come to her senses and leave me and I'll be completely alone and fucked up in the head for the rest of my life. Oh, God, I shouldn't have told you all of this...I don't want Bella to know. She can't know."

"Jake, she would still be supportive of you! She still considers you her best friend, even above Alice..."

"Fuck man, I can't let this add stress to her life. She's pregnant...and happy..._you_ make her happy. She doesn't need my shit to drag her down. Not anymore."

"That's why you're different with her, isn't it? That's why all those times on the phone you were happy and calm and acting normal," Edward commented, everything clicking into place.

"Please don't tell her, Edward."

"Do you still want it, Jake?" he asked quietly.

"Want what?"

"Death."

"No. I mean, I sometimes think about it, but no. I saw what it did to everyone when Quil died. I couldn't do that to everyone. I couldn't do that to Bella."

"Chelsea likes you, man. She can't keep her eyes or, from the looks of things at dinner, her hands off of you."

"I hope your right. I'm falling for her. She's beautiful and she's smart and she's easy to talk to and she's happy and...I'm finally happy when I'm with her."

"Then don't let your second guessing yourself end your relationship with her. That's exactly what almost happened with Bella and I. We started to get close but then neither one of us could imagine that the other might have wanted something long term. I truly never expected Bella to take on the role of Kaley's mother but it was like the fates literally held a meeting and decided to quit screwing me over. Like they gave me a gift for putting up with their bullshit. That gift came in a package of a five foot five inch tall brunet who's stubborn, loving, and just plain amazing. You have to love yourself if you want to love Chelsea. I learned that the hard way. When you stop worrying about what she sees in you, and start _seeing_ what she sees in you, you'll know if you are meant to be."

"I hope you're right. It's going to take a lot to get me there, though."

"Well, your first step is meeting a little boy who is as skittish as a deer. Are you ready to meet your new nephew?"

Bella saw Edward come over smiling and felt an amazing weight being lifted off of her shoulders. "What were you two doing over there? Plotting world domination?" laughed Bella. "You were talking for over a half hour. What did you two talk about?"

"Just the typical guy stuff. Anyway," he said, turning to his mother-in-law who was standing at the kitchen sink, "would you mind keeping an eye on Kaley? We'll be over to get her as soon as we know that Robby and Jake are okay with each other."

"No problem," Renee answered immediately.

"Okay, Bella, you ready to make the introduction?"

Before heading back to Jake's, Bella and Edward sat Robby down and explained to him that Uncle Jake was a very good friend of mommy's and he was a nice man...the usual pre-introduction prep work that went into having Robby meet someone new. He seemed excited to meet this Uncle Jake that Kaley seemingly couldn't shut up about. He held one hand of Bella's and one of Edward's as they made their way up onto the porch but he froze when he came face to face with Jacob Black.

Allowing him to hold onto them, Edward and Bella both refused to let him go until he did so willingly after what had to have been three whole minutes. Jake obviously sensed that he needed to be patient with the little guy. Finally, Robby took one step towards Jake...than another...and another still. Eventually, he was standing in front of Jake's chair. Jake looked up at Edward, who nodded in encouragement, and Jake started talking. "Hey, little man, I'm your Uncle Jake. Mommy and I are really good friends. I knew her when I was your age."

Robby looked at him in surprise and looked to Bella, as if he needed this piece of information to be confirmed. Bella just nodded and laughed. "My name's Robby. Daddy and me watch TV upside down."

The way he said it, the way it came out as the most important thing Jake was ever told, made Jake's face light up with a huge smile. "Really? Upside down?" Jake asked, acting completely surprised.

"Yup. Do you want to try?" Robby asked hopefully.

"I can't or else I would..."

"Honey," Bella began, "Uncle Jake hurt his leg so it would be hard for him to do that. Maybe some other time though, okay?"

Robby just shrugged as if to say 'that's cool, no big' and turned back to Jake. They seemed to get quiet, not knowing what to say. What happened next shocked the hell out of everyone. On Jake's arm, the same side as his hurt leg, there were a bunch of little white scars already. Robby, who never touched anyone other than his new family, reached out and ran his fingers over them. Jake jumped a little in surprise and Edward took a step forward in case he needed to step in.

Jake just remained calm, letting the boy study the white lines before surprising them yet again. Pulling his little shirt up to expose his stomach, which was covered in these marks, Robby said with another shrug, "I've got them, too."

Edward heard Bella gasp and watched Jake's jaw drop. Edward himself couldn't move, just watched in astonishment. Obviously Jake was shocked to see the marks covering the tiny boy in front of him but to his credit, he recovered quickly and held his arms out to Robby. Robby went right to him and Jake set him on the knee of his good leg. "They don't hurt anymore, do they buddy?" Jake asked.

"Nope," said Robby proudly, looking over at his new parents and bouncing happily on Jake's knee a little, "they used to bleed but now they are just white. It means it doesn't hurt. I'm all better."

**Sorry for not updating yesterday, what a weekend it has been. (The bachelor party went flawlessly...and my fiance is way sweeter than I deserve.) Anyway, I received some good news today, I won third place voters choice for Delicious, Delightful, and Devilish a Fetlife at Twilight contest entry. It is posted on my profile and if you want to check out the banner for it, it's on the tumblr site that can be found at the Fetlife at Twilight ff page (which can be found by clicking on my favorite author tab). Thank you so, so much to everyone who voted! It's a lot kinkier than this story but I bet you'll love the ending :) If you are interested in more kink, you should check out the other stories on the contest page, they are the works of very talented people. Anyway, hopefully a new chapter will happen either tomorrow or Tuesday. Leave me some love, LP xxoo**


	50. Chapter 50

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 50**

"So, do you still want to go home early?" Edward asked Bella as they sat on the porch steps of Jake's house. He was talking away with Robby about how he got his scars.

Bella smiled, "Sort of but my mom is going to be disappointed if I don't go."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, as always.

"Much better, it's nothing to worry about. Just normal pregnancy stuff," she reassured him, knowing he could take the win for worrier of the century.

"Well, get through today but if you are starting to feel like you need to rest, you do it. Your mom will understand. It worries me when you're on your feet so much," Edward said, rubbing her tummy.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head, yup, worrier of the century. "I promise."

"Good. Then, we can leave a little early and get you home to a nice, comfy bed..."

"Really, last night was not a big deal. I've slept on that couch many times when I lived here. Robby was in a new place."

"Still, I didn't like it."

Bella wondered how he dealt with nine months of Tanya carrying his child. The only thing she could assume was that since he wasn't around Tanya, he couldn't see what she was doing to worry over it. Bella leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, I should get going. I need to shower and I think mom's ready to leave already."

"Do you need money?" Edward asked, reaching for his wallet.

"Nope. I have the debit card. I'll see you in a few hours. We'll keep Kaley with us."

After a jump in the shower and dressing herself and her daughter, Bella trudged back downstairs to meet her mom. Jake, Edward, and Robby had made their way over to the house and were all inthe yard playing with a frisbee. She had just gone out to tell her mom they were ready when a blue car pulled in. Bella stood there in disbelief, then ran for the girl who just stepped out. Leah laughed as Bella hugged her, "It's been _way_ too long. Jake said you were coming down to visit and when your mom called this morning asking if I was up for a maternity shopping trip with you guys, I couldn't pass it up."

"I'm glad. It's going to be fun."

"Well, Embry's away, anyway. He went up to camp with his brother so I'm all on my lonesome," she smiled, bending a little so she could hug Kaley, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"Good. I'm getting a baby and I have a brother," Kaley said, as if she were grown up and just discussing the weather.

"A brother?" Leah asked, raising an eyebrow and looking around.

Bella did the same, realizing that Robby was on the porch now and Edward was kneeling in front of him, obviously trying to reassure him. "Le, can you wait here for like ten seconds. Edward and I are fostering a little boy and he's afraid of strangers. I'll be right back."

When she got to the porch, she saw that Robby was crying. Neither Edward nor Bella really knew what was wrong, he usually didn't cry and he was usually only afraid of bigger men. "Is he hurt?" Bella asked, immediately panicking.

"No. He saw the car pull in and began to shake." Bella looked back at the car and saw that Leah and Jake were now talking good-naturedly. Edward looked back over at Robby, "Do you want to meet Leah?"

Robby shook his head rapidly, his eyes were clenched shut, "Alright, you don't have to honey," Bella said and Edward looked back up at her.

"You guys go. I'll get him calmed down. Leah's obviously making him nervous."

"Okay," Bella agreed reluctantly. "Please call if you need me to come home. We'll come right back."

"No, go have fun. He'll be okay. Won't ya buddy?" Edward asked.

While Renee put Kaley's seat into her car, Bella climbed in and helped Kaley pull the seatbelt down. She had told Leah she'd sit in the back, figuring she could keep Kaley company. As they drove off, Bella looked back to see Robby rubbing his eyes and figured maybe he just needed a good nap.

The mall in Forks consisted of about fifteen stores, both food and clothing, and a food court. The mall in Seattle was overwhelming. Bella had to laugh at that, for as much as she had hung out there as a teenager, she was dreading going into the crowded, busy building. They went to a maternity store after grabbing some lunch at the food court and stopping in at a couple other places. Being that Bella was almost two months along already, they picked up a few pairs of shorts that had a little more stretch than Bella was used to and a few dressy tops for the fall, knowing when she went back to school there would be quite a belly. She didn't want to buy jeans or anything until she knew just how big she was going to get. She did grab a few pairs of sleep pants and capris, figuring she'd need them for around the house. When they came to the under garments, Bella ducked away, not ready to go there yet.

It was just a reminder to Bella that her husband was not exactly attracted to her at the moment. Regardless of what was said about him getting off on the idea, it didn't matter if he wasn't willing to act on it. There had to be a reason for it and Bella didn't even want to consider what it was. Leah had other ideas, "Bella, look at this!"

Cringing, she turned to face her friend, "I don't know..." It really was pretty, a deep blue with pretty iridescent beading around the bust that lead into lace over the stomach that flowed down around the waist. The teddy was perfect and something Edward would have loved.

"Well I do know," Leah smiled, "I'm getting it for you so I don't want to hear it. What size are you? You know what, I'm going to buy you a size bigger...save it for a month or two and wow him when he least expects it."

Bella had to laugh as she shook her head, the girl was determined. "That's a pretty dress, mommy," Kaley said, coming up behind her and causing Leah to burst into laughter.

Renee came up to them shortly after with some of their other bags from a few other stores they had visited. "What do you say we go check out?"

They got back to her parent's house about an hour later and Edward came out as soon as they pulled in to help her with her bags. "Where's Robby?" she asked, knowing he'd calmed down some from a phone call she'd made after they had gotten to the mall.

"With Jake," Edward laughed, "I don't get it. That guy comes around and both of my kids forget I exist..."

"No, they don't. Kaley loves you more than any other little girl loves their daddy. You're Robby's role model, the way a father should be to his son. They both love you dearly, Uncle Jake could never touch that."

"I know, I know," he sighed, kissing her on the cheek, "I'll see you inside."

"Are you staying to visit?" Bella asked Leah.

"I would love to but I'm having dinner with Embry's mom," she said apologetically.

Leah grabbed a few bags out of the car, handing three of them to Bella, "Here are your things. The other stuff is for Kaley and Robby. I hate that I can't get out there to visit you guys more often..."

"Le, seriously, you didn't have to do that..."

"I don't want to hear it. Now, give me a hug and promise to tell Ally I said hello," she replied, letting Bella know she wasn't to be deterred.

After prying Robby away from his new best friend, the Cullen family headed home. They arrived around seven o'clock and both kids were a little cranky from the car ride. Though they didn't normally allow the kids to watch TV too often, they turned on the local cartoon channel, one geared towards little kids, and Edward helped bring Bella's bags back to their room. She began unloading everything into drawers, careful to keep the lingerie out of his sight but couldn't help but show him what Leah had bought for the little ones.

In one bag there were two shirts with a very touristy Seattle picture on it. In the other was a little onesie with the Seattle skyline. Bella had to laugh, remembering how often she, Leah, and Alice would make fun of the tourists who paid money for anything that had Seattle screen printed on it. These shirts were touristy, cheesy, and absolutely perfect. She sent her friend a text after showing them to Edward, telling her how great they were.

After both kids were asleep on the couch, Edward carried Kaley to her bed and nudged Robby awake gently, helping him back to his room. Bella, on the other hand, stood in front of her bathroom mirror and looked at her already changing body. Her abdomen was slightly bigger and beginning to form a very small bump. Her love handles were more noticeable but what really worried her were her breasts. They had already gotten bigger and she was hardly pregnant.

She had always been very lean, hardly any fat on her body, so it really didn't surprise her that her husband really might be turned off in her present condition. Unable to look at herself any longer, she brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and went out to find her husband already under the covers. His eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling evenly. Trying not to be disappointed, Bella carefully climbed in beside him. As exhausted as she was, it took her a long time to fall into something resembling a good sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, it was to her husband kissing her forehead and telling her he'd be home around five—her already showered and dressed husband. Stifling a sigh, Bella just gave a small smile and let him leave, not in the mood to ask him why he didn't wake her sooner.

Pushing herself up out of bed, Bella made her way to the living room and realized neither of the kids were up yet. Plopping down on the couch, she put her head in her hands and wondered if things were going to be like this all of the time now. She loved being pregnant, she loved the baby, but she also loved spending quality 'adult' time with her husband. She had been horny since the beginning of the pregnancy and nothing had changed, she was seriously sexually frustrated.

It took her a few moments before she realized another sensation was coming at her—nausea. Jumping up, she made it to the back bathroom just in time. As she threw up, she cried, wishing more than anything that Edward was there. After the banging on the door began, Bella forced herself to go make sure they were both occupied while she had her 'moment'.

By the time she made her way back to the bathroom, she felt awful not being able to get them a good breakfast but she could barely stand the smell of the cereal let alone make eggs like Kaley had asked for. In tears, Bella sat on the bathroom floor and prayed that her morning sickness phase wouldn't last long. When Kaley knocked on the door again, asking if they could go outside—and there was no way in hell Bella was going to let them play outside by themselves, she dried her eyes and went in search of her cell.

For the first time since she could remember, Bella decided to call for help. A chipper Alice answered on the first ring. "Are you throwing up?" Bella asked, trying to get through the conversation before the gagging started again.

"No. Are you?"

"I need a favor. Could you come help me out with the kids...ugh..hold on..." Bella said, dropping the phone on the bed and heading back to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she went to pick up the phone and noticed Alice had hung up—and she totally couldn't blame her. There was a voice mail and as she listened she began to cry again. Her wonderful friend had hung up and called back to tell her she was already on her way over.

"Listen, you son of a bitch, that's my wife. My fucking wife. You want to ask questions about the kid, then fine. Ask away..."

"Sir," Edward said, putting his hands up and gesturing towards Josephina Theresa's neck, "those marks were made by someone's hands. She didn't trip and fall into something that strangled her."

"It's none of your fucking business!"

"It_ is_ my business. Where's the baby, Jo?" Edward asked, frustrated at this point and turning to the child's mother.

"Upstairs. He's awake upstairs," she said, closing her eyes as her husband began to accuse Edward of sleeping with her.

"A first name basis, huh..."

Edward ignored him, silently pleading with this woman, "I need to see him. I can't leave until I've seen him," Edward kept his voice calm, amid the yelling.

"You don't need to see anything," her husband yelled, it was obvious the man was drunk.

Finally, Edward just shook his head, realizing that the situation was going from bad to worse. "Look, I'm telling you right now, I don't think that little boy is safe. So either you quit threatening me and let me see him, or I'll bring a whole damn team down here and remove him from the house. It's your call."

When the man stood in his way of the stairs leading to the bedrooms upstairs, Edward had enough. He glanced back and saw Josephina crying, trying to beg her husband to let him do his job, but Edward knew it wasn't worth it. She was just going to get herself killed. Striding towards his Jeep, he dialed Gary as he backed out of the driveway. "I need a warrant for the seizure of a minor..."

As soon as he hung up with Gary, another call came through. Edward had another appointment in twenty minutes on the other side of town, plus he had to be back at the office before the warrant came across his desk so he could go the second it was there. Groaning, he answered without seeing who it was. "Hello?"

"Edward? It's Alice..."

"What's up, Al?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm as he got stuck behind someone going about five miles an hour in a non-passing zone.

"Bella's really sick..."

"Sick how?" he asked, immediately forgetting about work.

"Morning sickness..."

"Shit. Al, does she need me to go home?" Gary was so going to kill him.

"No. No, I'm on my way over there now, I think she just needs someone to keep an eye on the kids while she's in the bathroom. Maybe you should stop by during lunch, just to give her a kiss..." Alice said sweetly. Obviously, Bella was in bad shape.

"Um...yeah. I'll stop by. Hey, if you need something and can't get a hold of me, call my mom..." Another call came through then. "Al, look, tell her I love her and I'll try to stop by. I have to go."

He decided to stop into the office before heading to his next client's. "Cullen, I need you to get those papers filled out that are on your desk. The judge needs them..."

"I'm on it, Gary, thanks!" Edward called walking straight back to his office. He had just sat down and started looking over the forms when his eyes caught the picture he had of Bella. There was a larger one of them on their wedding day, him kissing her cheek as she sat on his lap. The one that caught his attention was one he had of her in a smaller frame, he had taken it after finding her in the kitchen after he had come home from a call. She was dressed in one of his old station tees and her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head. The shirt stretched down to her legs—and she wore nothing but that t-shirt and panties. She was smiling, holding a tea cup in her hand.

He put down the papers and picked up her picture. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She looked so young, so determined to live her life to the fullest. Now, she was just as beautiful but the light that she used to carry hadn't been in her eyes in a long time. With a frown, he decided that if anyone could try to change that, it was him. On his way out the door, he waited until him mom picked up and when she did, he took it off speaker and continued his way to the Jeep. "Hey, mom. Could you take the kids for us tonight?"

**The next chapter is in the works and will hopefully be up within the next two days. Be patient with me, I know you are all anxious. Just know that I am trying :) LP xx**


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 51**

The afternoon went much better for Bella and after telling her more details about Jake, Leah, and the weekend, Alice headed home for a much needed nap. The kids were super wound up and Bella had a feeling it was because they got extra sleep the night before. Kaley was her usual ball of energy but even Robby seemed to be bouncing off the walls. Bella had been counting the hours until five, though Edward had stopped by around one o'clock. It was nice seeing him but she felt like he was distracted, which he probably was. His job meant he was looking out for a lot of different people.

What had confused her the most was him telling her they were visiting his parents that evening. Usually, that was something that Bella would set up, discussing with Esme what they would help each other cook for dinner. Today, though, something was up. She hadn't been brought into the planning process of it and he was way too distracted with work to have been worrying about those details. She refrained from calling Esme, figuring if she needed help she would call. Bella didn't want to bug her at work.

So, the afternoon dragged, and by five o'clock she could hardly contain herself. This had nothing to do with going to visit her in-laws, she just really missed her husband. He came in, and to her surprise, carried a bouquet of yellow carnations. Her jaw dropped. He was a very sweet man, but he had never been the bring home flowers type of guy. Kaley managed to say exactly what she was thinking, "They're gorgeous!"

Edward walked over to Bella, then, kissing her gently and handing her the flowers. When he pulled away, he whispered, "I love you."

Those three little words had been so overused but for whatever reason, this time it felt different. It felt more meaningful. "I love you, too."

Following him out, they strapped the kids into the Volvo and headed for his parents. As it turned out, her husband had another trick up his sleeve. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Bella watched him in confusion as he got both of the kids out and walked them to the door. He kissed Kaley, and gave Robby a little high five before saying something to Esme and heading back to Bella.

"Edward, what the hell..."

"We have dinner reservations," he said simply, Bella just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

Finally after many long minutes, Bella looked down at her white shorts and blue tank top, not exactly attire for a dinner you needed reservations for. "I'm under dressed."

"You look perfect. This isn't the Ritz, Bells. I just called to reserve us an outside table," he said with a smile, pulling into a cute old-fashioned looking restaurant. There were little water fountains and fake ponds with large orange fish and flowers that hung down from a wooden porch roof. The tables had small oil burning candles and was covered with an umbrella to keep the sun off of it occupants.

After the woman, dressed in a white apron and an old-fashioned dress led them to their table, Bella finally found words. "You didn't need to do this..."

"Yes. I did. Bella, I feel like I've messed up somewhere and I don't know what I did. You aren't happy..."

"That's not true. I'm very happy," Bella protested.

"Not like you used to be. Not like you were when we first met."

"Yeah and now that I've been working and taking care of two kids, I'm less energetic," Bella replied, feeling slightly offended.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I wanted to take you out tonight, just the two of us, and try to be the way we were before. Remember when we first met? I remember staring at you for hours. I would wait by the window for you to come out and then find an excuse to go out and join you."

"Stalk much?" Bella asked with a laugh.

"Jake was right in not wanting to let you go. You're beautiful, Bella." She didn't know what he expected her to say but she looked down at her plate, her appetite suddenly disappearing. She wanted to ask him what the problem was, why he barely touched her over the past week. "Please talk to me, love."

Shaking her head, Bella sighed. She decided to just ask him about the lack of physical contact but instead she heard herself say, "I miss you."

His head shot up from looking down at his own plate, "What do you mean? We just got back from vacation and we visited with your parents..."

"No. Not like, 'I haven't seen you in forever' missing you. I mean...you know..." Bella began to blush and found for the first time since she found out she was pregnant that she wished she could drink. Some liquid courage would have been nice right about now.

Edward was looking at her with a blank expression and finally, she lowered her voice and just blurted it out. "Sex. I miss having sex with you."

If she hadn't been so upset, she would have laughed over Edward's expression. His mouth opened slightly and he shut it before opening it again. It was as if he was trying to remember how to talk. Finally, after much effort, he just simply asked, "What?"

Bella glanced around and when she was satisfied that no one was listening in, she kept her voice down and asked, "So what is it? The weight gain? The throwing up? The baggier clothes..."

"Stop. Right now. Just stop. Back up a second," he said, holding a hand up to get her to quit talking. "You think I'm not attracted to you?"

"If you haven't noticed, I don't know how to put this any other way, but before we were married we," she whispered this next part, "fucked like bunnies. I mean, I know why it was that way when we were trying for the baby but it was before that, too. After the wedding it was constant. It was every night."

Edward was still looking at her like she was nuts. "Why didn't you ever tell me you were feeling about this?"

"It's only been for the past couple weeks. Since the beach trip, really. Since I found out I was pregnant...

"Bella, I love the idea of you being pregnant."

"Then why haven't you...you know..."

"It works both ways, love. You haven't really acted like you wanted it either..."

"I'm not going to force myself on you. God, I'm only two months along and already gaining weight. I'm not going to throw myself at you..."

"Are you insane? Have you completely lost your mind? You aren't wearing baggy clothes because you _look _bad underneath them, you are wearing them because you _think_ you look bad underneath them," he said, shaking his head. "Are you finished with that?"

Bella looked down at her uneaten food and nodded, wondering why he was asking—he wasn't finished eating either. They sat in silence for a few minutes and eventually the waiter came over. "How are we doing here?" he asked, obviously wondering if it was the restaurant's food that had soured the mood.

"Things are great," Edward said, forcing a smile. "Can we get two boxes?"

"Absolutely."

Bella didn't argue with him, just helped him pack up their food and waited for him to pay the bill. Standing up, she was surprised that he put his hand on the small of her back to guide her out, as if he was looking for a reason to touch her. She was surprised when they drove back to their house, leaving the kids at his parents. "Edward, what are you doing? The kids..."

"Don't have school tomorrow and besides, it's only six-thirty. We have a few hours," he smirked, getting out of the car.

Bella's heart clenched. She understood. Following him into the house, Bella could feel her heart hammering in her chest. This is what she wanted, so why did she feel so self-conscious? He led her straight back to the bedroom and he sat her on the edge of the bed. Getting down on his knees in front of her, Bella immediately remembered their first night together, the first time she'd even been with anyone, and was shocked when she began to cry.

Edward looked at her, concern filling his eyes. "We really don't have to do this, love. I don't want to upset or hurt you..."

"I'm not upset," Bella choked out, struggling for breath. "Do you remember our first time together? My first time?"

That small, crooked smile appeared and she couldn't help but smile back. "Of course I remember," he said, moving to sit beside her. "It was the night of the gala. I though...I thought I would never have that chance with you. You were so sweet, so...pure, and I was absolutely shocked that for as beautiful as you are, you were still that innocent. God, I couldn't believe it was really happening. Not the sex, the fact that you were willing to take me back. I know that it was hard to not blur the lines between someone who loved Kaley and someone who loved me but even if Kaley wasn't in the picture I would have wanted you more than anything."

Bella was crying harder as she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. His lips found her forehead, then her cheek, and then made their way to her lips. She kissed him back, harder than she could ever remember kissing him and still, the tears kept coming. They were happy tears and she really wasn't even sure why she was crying, it just couldn't be helped. She pushed him back and climbed onto his lap. His hard erection pressing into her core as she moved to create friction. It had been so long and she bit her lip to contain her cries of pleasure.

He lifted off the blue tank top and let it fall to the floor by the bed. He bent upwards so that he could pull the cup of her bra down and take her nipple in his mouth. Immediately, she moaned and rocked herself against him. To her surprise, he moved down farther, kissing her all the way down to her belly. "This was never about me not wanting you. I always want you. I just...I was waiting for you to be ready..."

"I'm sorry I never said anything. I need this. I need you."

Edward rolled her over than, unbuttoning her shorts and slipping them down her legs, along with her panties. Bella shivered as she felt the material and his hands both over her legs. What happened next made Bella want to murder someone...and Edward looked just as blue-balled as she felt. The sirens of Station 88 had echoed over her moans and, now that she was silent, droned on through their empty house. "Goddammit!" Edward muttered, looking at her in frustration.

"Edward, you have to go." Bella said it, shaking her head as if to say 'I know this sucks but you have to'.

"I know," he said, getting up and taking off the pants he was still wearing. They were dressier, the ones he had on for work that day and as he pulled them down, his little friend decided to make an appearance. Bella licked her lips and Edward just chuckled, restraining himself with the help of the waistband of his boxers. A pair of ripped jeans went on before he added an old t-shirt—one that was already torn in a few places. He looked as sexy as ever and Bella hoped he wouldn't be gone long. The house phone rang and Bella grabbed it. "We're here," she said to Emmett, knowing the drill.

"House fire. One story. Everyone's out. We shouldn't be late tonight, Bells," was all Emmett said before hanging up. She smiled, loving that he always told her what was going on, not making her wait to hear about it from Edward later. She relayed the message and followed him to the door after slipping her clothes back on. Handing him his helmet, which was by the door, she kissed him goodbye. "I'm sorry, Bells."

"Don't be. I'm just glad we talked."

He gave her that smile that she'd fallen in love with and, when Emmett pulled up, headed for his friends truck. About an hour later, she went to get the kids, who seemed a little disappointed that Edward wasn't with her. After talking to Esme, she went back home. She had learned long ago that the news could upset both kids when he was out on a call, so she left the TV off completely and sat down with them to play a game of Candy Land. While they played, she got them some watermelon for a snack. "Is daddy at the fire?" Kaley asked, looking concerned. Bella never lied to her daughter but just nodded her head, not wanting to really talk to her about it. Robby was being a little too quiet.

After helping Kaley bath and then letting Robby do the bath thing on his own, Bella tucked Kaley in and went back for her son. The door to the bathroom opened and he walked out with his little clothes folded nicely—the dirty clothes that would be going right into his hamper anyway. It still broke her heart.

"Robby, are you okay, baby? You seem sad," Bella asked carefully, thinking back to how he had been acting that evening. He shook his head to tell her it was nothing but Bella saw through him. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I won't be mad."

"Grammy said that if the new baby is a boy I can teach him things."

"Is that bad?" Bella asked, preparing herself for him to already be jealous of the baby. Robby became even more quiet, even turning his back to her and heading for his bedroom. "Honey, please talk to me."

Bella saw that he was crying. When he got like this, Bella knew this wasn't about the present, this was about the past. Edward had always been the one to deal with Robby at times like this and she wished he was there. Kneeling down, she held her arms out to him and surprisingly he went to her. "I don't want to."

"What? Teach things to your baby brother?" Bella asked, trying to figure out what was going through his head.

He nodded. "I don't want to hurt him. I don't know how to take care of him."

Bella just shook her head, "Honey, mommy and daddy will take care of him. Why do you think you'd hurt him?"

"Caleb taught me things..." Bella looked at him suddenly realizing what he was so upset about, trying to mask her horror, "it hurt..."

"Oh, God, no. Robby, look at me, okay? That's not how we treat people, especially not the baby. Honey, did Caleb have to take care of you?"

Robby nodded, beginning to cry again. "Mommy and daddy made him."

Bella didn't want to hear this, immediately she wished she hadn't asked. "Did you ever tell Doctor Carolyn about Caleb?" To Edward, the woman who was younger and prettier than she would have liked was called Dr. Kramer, but for her little son, he always just called her by her first name.

"No. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

Bella head the present tense he used. "No, Robby, you tell her what happened. You tell mommy and daddy and anyone else you want to tell. Just don't tell Kaley, okay?" Bella added this last part, suddenly worried about whether or not he had said anything to his sister about the sexual abuse she knew he had gone through. He couldn't keep this inside any longer though, it wasn't healthy for an adult to keep it in and it sure as hell wasn't healthy for a five year old.

"Honey, when the knew baby comes, he's going to love you and you can play with him. Mommy and daddy are going to take care of him, though. That's mommy and daddy's job, to take care of all three of you. You just get to play with him and be nice to him, okay?" Robby looked at her, relief clear on his face.

Bella felt sick as she told him goodnight and closed the door, she hoped the Davaraux's were burning in hell but still felt awful for Caleb. He was an innocent who was taught awful things...who taught those awful things to his little brother. It was like a sick and twisted chain. Heading downstairs, she pulled his file from the desk and looked through it for the thousandth time. When she came to pictures that were taken of the house by Edward, she noticed a car in the driveway beside it. With a gasp, she picked it up and looked even closer. It made sense now, Leah drove the same type of car as his parents had.

The door opening upstairs caused her to jump a little but when she saw Edward come down the steps, she closed the file and walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek. "You're safe."

"Yes. Just incredibly dirty and incredibly tired."

"Are you up for taking a bath together? There are some things I need to tell you."

As they undressed, Bella watched him watching her and smiled. "I see you're still rearing to go."

He climbed in first, sinking down into the warm water. As she slid in, sitting in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. "What happened while I was gone?" He cut to the chase and Bella knew that no matter what was going on between them—good or bad—their children came first.

"Robby told me some things...about Caleb."

"What kinds of things?" Edward asked cautiously.

"Caleb hurt him, Edward," Bella said slowly, not really knowing how to say what Robby told her.

"I knew he did, Bella. I thought you knew that, too..."

"I did but you should have heard him. He thought we were going to make him take care of the new baby and that we'd make him hurt the baby."

Edward just brought his hand up to rub his eyes and Bella turned to face him, watching as he shook his head. "You talked to him, right?"

"Yeah but will you mention it to Dr. Kramer the next time you go?"

"Of course. Now, get back here, Bells. I know you're worried about him but we both need to realize that we can't prevent him from remembering his past. It happened. It's done and over with. We lucked out by getting him while he is still young enough to learn that what he learned before is wrong."

Bella leaned back into him, feeling his smooth abs against her back. "Well, apparently, Leah drives the same car that Robby's parents did."

"Wow. I never even considered it, though I was concerned about why he was so afraid of Leah."

"Now we know."

"Yup." Edward said, popping the 'p'. He must have felt the same way Bella did, the more they were finding out the harder it was to understand what he was going through. It should have been the opposite, usually the more information you know the easier it is to understand. That wasn't the case this time, neither of them would ever understand what Robby went through.

He moved her hair behind her shoulder and kissed her neck, giving Bella a feeling of escape from the horrors their little son had endured. "I met the new guys tonight," he said against her neck.

"What are they like?"

"They're young, kind of cocky...exactly how I was when I started."

Bella giggled and replied, "Because you're _so_ old..."

"To them...yeah, I am...To them, I'm a thirty year old with two kids and I'm _married._" The way he said 'married' made it sound like that was a death sentence—only jokingly—she knew he was just teasing her.

"How are things with Tyler?" Bella asked, afraid to know.

"Alright, I guess. I didn't talk to him tonight. It wasn't necessary so I just didn't. The newbies are gravitating to him, though."

"That's the role model they need," Bella laughed.

After they were clean but still dripping wet, Bella reached for a towel but Edward caught her hand and pulled him towards her. Their wet bodies slid against each other and Bella felt his erection against her core. As he kissed down her shoulder, she hitched her leg up to give him better access. Grabbing her waist, he pulled her up and carried her to the bed. Kneeling down, he licked her thighs, making his way up to her core. She immediately reached above her head and grabbed a pillow, putting it over her face she screamed into it.

It had been so long, she felt even more sensitive than usual. With the kids asleep in the same house, she knew she had to stay quiet. She felt him slide one finger in, then two and she pulled the pillow away long enough to tell him that she was about to come. He increased his pace, pumping his fingers into her and it was obvious he took this as his signal to keep going. She grabbed the pillow again and when she was clearly spent, he pulled his fingers back and sat back on his heels. She wiped the remnants of herself from his face and laughed against his mouth as he 'fell' on her, though he was really holding himself up, careful to not put stress on the baby.

Bella playfully shoved him to the side and rolled on top of him. Holding onto his erection, which was currently bobbing between them, Bella began to stroke. He closed his eyes and was practically panting by the time she leaned forward and slid herself down over him. He gasped, obviously not expecting it, and Bella knelt over him, giving him the room he needed to rock his hips at the pace he wanted to go. He was lying under her, his arms up by his head as he lifted his hips to hers over and over again. Another burst of pleasure slammed her as she felt herself clench him, this time it was even better. Bella bit her lip and soon, Edward's body relaxed back against the bed.

"I like this position," Bella chuckled, "I just have to kneel here and you do all the work..."

"Get down here, wifey," Edward laughed, pulling her to the side so she was beside him on the bed.

"Goodnight, old man. Oh, and by the way," Bella smiled, reaching up to turn the light off, "that was amazing."

**Aww...we're all happy :) As always, there's always calm before a storm. There's still a rather large loose tie that needs tied once and for all. I'm loving the reviews...I'm getting really, really close to a thousand...something I only dreamt before! Please leave me some love and I'll update as soon as I can. I put a lot of time into these chapters and this plot so be patient with me. LP xxoo**


	52. Chapter 52

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~Please read the ridiculously long author's note at the bottom. I think it all needs to be said after this chapter, you'll see why. xx**

**Chapter 52**

A morning routine had finally been worked out. Every morning, Bella would shower with Edward before he had to leave for work. She usually had to stop halfway through to throw up but it was getting a little easier to deal with. Alice, the poor thing, had started to get sick just as much. So, instead of her helping Bella, she was struggling with it herself. Edward had discussed it with Rosalie and now, if she needed someone to keep an eye on the kids while she was praying to the porcelain gods, all she had to do was call Aunt Rose. It was nice for the kids as well since they had Lily to play with while they were there.

This particular morning, Bella was a little more tired than normal. Edward had told her about a family with a small baby that he'd had to find a foster home for. Apparently, the mother was still being slapped around by her husband but with the baby out of the picture, he had no reason to check up on them. The woman had the ball in her court but he figured she wouldn't press charges. There had been many nights, both with the fire company and with work, that they had sat up and discussed what happened during the day. Just like she would tell him about the little boy who, in third grade, still couldn't write his name. They leaned on each other support.

The one thing the pretty little Dr. Kramer had always stressed to Edward was that he neede to be as open as possible with his wife. If he was having a bad day, tell her that. If he was feeling anxious, tell her why. In return, Edward said the doctor told him to always ask Bella how she was feeling...and to back off if she just simply wasn't in the mood to talk. Still, communication was key.

"Mommy, are we going to the station today?" her son asked, his eyes full of excitement at the idea.

"I don't know yet, baby. If not today, then I'm sure sometime soon." That had become apart of their routine as well. The guys had officially allowed Rosalie to take over things at the station. She checked equipment and supplies, played dispatcher for the guys, and always kept in touch with the wives and families while the guys were out on calls. A call would come in, Em would get the scoop from her—who would be contacted by James or sometimes the 911 dispatch—Em would call, pick up Edward, and Rosalie would drive her and Lily to the station by themselves. While school was out, it was easy to tote Lily around at night but when school would begin, she'd have all the calls directed to her home, setting up base there for the night.

Because she was trying to organize things that the guys had pretty much neglected over the past few years, Bella and Alice pitched in to help. The kids would go with her, as would Edward, but it was usually just the three families that hung out there. She had yet to meet the new rookies and she hadn't seen James since the beach trip. The one day that Bella and Edward would have seen everyone was at a cookout a few weeks after the first night they'd slept together since she knew she was pregnant. It was at the end of July and Bella had taken Kaley and Robby to Alice's for some swim time.

It was a Saturday and the guys were having a meeting about fund raising, which would be followed up by a cookout with the families. Alice was about a month further than Bella was, Alice was about four months and Bella was almost exactly three, though she was unsure of when they'd actually conceived. She was just going by what the doctor had decided. Anyway, they were swimming, though Bella mostly just stood in the water to cool off. She had her white cherry swimsuit on, something she wasn't afraid to wear around her best friend but would definitely be self conscious to wear around anyone other than Alice or Edward—she was grateful Jasper wasn't there.

When they got out of the pool, she couldn't help but notice Alice was staring at her butt. "Al, what's up?" Bella asked, having to laugh.

Her smiled faded when Alice said with an ashen face, "You have blood on your bikini bottoms."

Immediately, Bella ran to the little pool house and turned in front of the mirror, praying it was just the little cherries and that Alice had just seen it wrong. No such luck. She didn't know what to do, so she grabbed her cell phone and called her husband. Edward left the meeting the instant he was called and took her straight to the emergency room, Bella was very proud of him for not having a panic attack but he was definitely anxious. After running tests, doing an ultrasound, and taking blood work, they were told it was nothing serious and there was a good chance it was something external more than internal.

That Monday, they paid a visit to the OB and she went through another series of tests. "You seem fine and everything looks normal. I'm sure this was just a one time thing."

The doctors office was a place they were definitely becoming familiar with, besides that little hiccup, it was more for precautionary reasons. They were watching her blood sugar like a hawk and she was instructed to eat small snacks like apples and things between meals. In other words, her sugar was low but not low enough to panic anyone.

They had missed the cook out and thankfully, there hadn't been any reason for the guys to be sent out lately. Edward had mentioned trying to get another cook out together but she knew he was too busy to plan it. When he called her at lunchtime to ask if it was okay that he go with the guys to get a few beers after work, Bella told him to have fun. He told her they were going back to the station after if she wanted to meet him there. Of course, she willingly obliged.

She was tired enough from the night before that she decided to take a nap when the kids went down for theirs around three. Being that it was Friday, she didn't know if Edward had any plans for the night or not. At five, she woke up to a missed call from him. The voice mail explained that his mom wanted to take the kids for the evening, apparently his Aunt Liz was visiting. She agreed to drop them off and then meet him at the station. So, after dinner, she got the kids ready and headed out.

The guys had made it to the station earlier than expected and opened up one of the main bays to let a breeze in. Rosalie was already there, working upstairs in the office and Lily came running out to them shortly after they arrived. Emmett scooped her up and put her up on his shoulders as Edward high-fived the little girl. The two new rookies, Ryan and Cam, were talking amongst themselves. Tyler had quietly refrained from alcohol that evening. Edward had gone more to just eat and hang out. He was expecting Bella any minute and that's when he heard Cam say to Ryan, "Check out this little one coming up the sidewalk," as he craned his neck to see outside of the firehouse.

"Mmm, she's a cutie..."

Both guys got quiet as she walked right past them and headed towards Edward, Emmett and Jasper. James intercepted her though, "Hey, sweetheart!" he called.

Bella spun around and smiled as they hugged each other, "Long time no see, stranger. How have you been?"

"Great. How about you?" he asked, and Edward saw his eyes go down to her stomach.

"Great," she replied back, "everything's great."

While she talked away with James about Clair and the baby, Cam and Ryan joined their group. "Who is she?" Ryan asked.

Jasper glanced at Edward, fully prepared to break up a fight—especially after his reaction to Tyler. This was different, though. They didn't realize she was his wife and they weren't being disrespectful to her. He knew Bella was right, the jealousy thing needed to be brought down a few notches. "Why do you want to know?" he asked, pretending to be curious.

"She's really cute. Do you know if she's seeing someone?" Cam asked.

"Go ask her yourself," laughed Edward, curious to see their reactions.

Ryan hung back while Cameron walked over to her, completely interrupting Bella's conversation with James. Edward listened as he cleared his throat and held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Cameron. What's a lovely lady like you doing in a firehouse?"

Edward had already begun to laugh, while Bella wasn't exactly a feminist, that was certainly a sexist thing to have said—even if Cameron hadn't meant it that way. He turned to see Jazz and Em trying to cover up their laughter as well. Sure enough, his Bella turned so that she was facing Edward and Cam—though Cam had no idea he was watching. "Why wouldn't a lovely lady be in a firehouse?" Crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean...I just meant...you're really pretty. Maybe we could hang out sometime," Cam stammered, causing Edward to laugh again.

Bella looked past him to see who was laughing and when she saw that it was Edward, a look of knowing crossed her face. This was going to get interesting. "Well, Cameron, I hang around here quite often," Bella said, trying to sound seductive—to Edward's dismay she was pulling it off rather well. "In fact, I ended up pregnant with one of the guys's babies..."

Edward so wished he could see Cam's face but watching Bella's was even more humorous. Cam knew all the guys were either married...or in James's case widowed...besides he and Ryan. They also knew Tyler's story. They had temporarily had two other recruits but both had dropped out together after they finished school. "Well, are you pregnant now?" he asked, with absolutely no tact at all and Edward put his face in his hands. At this point, Bella was definitely fighting to keep a straight face. Stepping even closer to Cameron, Edward watched as she leaned forward and said into his ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "Three months and it's Cullen's."

Edward quickly quit smiling and acted like he was saying something to Jasper as Cam turned to look at him, shock clearly on his face. He waited for Cam to say something about her being his wife, at least acknowledging it, but the young guy turned back to Bella and said, "You do know he's married to someone else, though, right?"

Bella's eyes grew wide, feigning surprise. "Well, I would hope not, polygamy is illegal in the state of Washington. Cameron, it's interesting to meet you," she said, holding out a hand to him, "I'm _Mrs_. Isabella Cullen. Edward, over there, he's my husband."

At that point, James even began to laugh and Cam turned to Edward, who was walking towards them anyway. "You're an asshole, dude..." Cam said, shaking his head and laughing.

Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's waist and kissed his cheek. He couldn't help but smile and instinctively put a hand on their little bump. "I couldn't resist," he laughed.

Cam looked back and forth between the two of them, "How old are you?" he asked Bella.

"Alright, first you assume that since I'm a girl I can't be a firefighter, then you ask a girl how old she is? Have you ever even heard of manners?" she laughed, then got serious, "I'm twenty-five. How old are you? Eighteen?"

Cam looked slightly offended but recovered quickly, "I'm twenty-two."

"That's how old I was when I met this one," Bella smiled, looking up at her husband.

Edward smiled back and gestured to Ryan, who was watching as he leaned against an engine and tried to control his laughter, "This clown over here is our other new guy. Bells, this is Ryan."

"Nice to meet you," Bella called over.

"Likewise!" he said, obviously loving the exchange she and his friend had just had.

Bella headed upstairs to visit Rosalie and relay what had just happened. They had a good laugh over it and Bella set out to help her with an order she was putting in online. "Where are the kiddos?"

"Esme and Carlisle's. Liz is visiting."

"Aw, I miss her. I haven't seen her since the wedding..."

The station's phone began ringing. It only ever rang for one reason. Rosalie immediately grabbed it. "Station 88," she answered, hitting the button to set off the alarms. Bella ran downstairs to see the guys off. In all the years they had been together, she'd never been there when the guys were heading out. Usually, they grabbed Emmett and Edward's stuff and threw it in, knowing they'd get it at the scene. Today though, Bella watched in fearful amusement as the guys ran to their perspective lockers and pulled on their equipment. The alarm was almost deafening inside the building and Edward strode towards her before kissing her hard. "I love you, baby."

She heard Rosalie over the intercom explaining that it was a one car accident but the young woman was trapped in the car. They had to get her out...immediately...before it was too late. "I love you, too. Be careful!"

"Always am!" he kissed her again and jumped up into the engine. As soon as everyone was on board, they left and Bella went over to meet Rosalie. "Wow, that was intense!"

"I hate being here when they go out," Rose said, hugging Lily to her. "Come on. I just have get some things finished upstairs."After helping Rosalie, Bella made her way to pick up the kids and head home. It shouldn't be a late one tonight, they just had a woman to free from a car.

When they arrived at the scene, Jasper and Emmett jumped down after Edward, as they headed toward the flipped car. It was bad, there was gas leaking onto the road and Edward knew this could turn from bad to worse in seconds. The back of the car was facing them as ambulance EMT workers were knelt down beside her, trying to calm her down. Edward's heart stopped when he realized who it was. The car wasn't recognizable to him but the plate numbers were. They were the numbers he'd filled out many times on legal forms or things that had to be sent in to his insurance company. It was the same license plate that was put on when Tanya and him had bought their first car together.

He ran towards the car. As much as he hated her, he didn't want her to die. The car was crushed to the point that it looked like someone grabbed the top of the car and the bottom and smashed them together. He heard her cries but didn't see any blood. When the other guys realized who it was he heard them mutter expletives before James began to bark orders. The younger guys had no idea what was going on and Edward watched as Emmett and Jasper began shouting something to her inside but everything was shutting down on him. Finally, Emmett got his attention. "Wake the fuck up, Cullen!"

Edward immediately went into rescue mode, he barked orders right along with James and by the time crackling noises came from under the hood, he had her under the arms and was pulling her from the car. Since she was ground level already, he pulled and fell back with her. They both ended up on the road, him holding her to his chest, afraid to move her. "Edward..." she said, obviously confused and very disoriented.

"You're okay. The ambulance is right there..." he started sliding back, worried that if the car went up, so would they. Once they were a safe enough distance, he laid her out and let the ambulance workers do their job. They had her loaded in and looked at him. "Do you know her?"

"Yes."

"There's no I.D. on her..."

"Her name is Tanya Denali. She's my ex-wife."

"Do you know how we can get a hold of her family?"

"Yeah..." he said, reaching for his phone and calling her mother.

"It's Tanya...she was in an accident..." Edward said calmly after her mom picked up.

"Eli! Tanya's been in an accident!" he heard her yell out to Tanya's stepdad, Eleazer. Then to him, she asked, "Where is she? Is she okay?"

Edward gave them the road name as the other guys got to checking out the car to make sure it wasn't going to catch fire. "I'm assuming they're taking her to Forks General..." he looked to the driver for confirmation, the man nodded his head.

He hung up as they were putting a neck brace on her, she was bawling, obviously terrified. When she called out to him, he knew he was going to make a very bad decision. Stepping up into the ambulance he sat on the little stool beside her stretcher. She reached for him but he couldn't make contact, not again. That would be wrong. _This is wrong! _His subconscious was screaming at him. James came over then, as they were getting ready to pull away. It was like he understood where Edward was coming from. "You stay with her until they get her to the hospital. Do you want me to call Bella?"

"No. I'll call her after things calm down."

"What if she's at the station?"

"Then tell her the truth," Edward relented, knowing the man standing beside him wanted to shut the doors and leave. James just nodded and shut the doors himself.

When the doors closed the weight of the situation washed over him. He had just pulled his ex from a wrecked car, talked to her mother, and was now in an ambulance with her as she was trying to take his hand. Bella was going to fucking kill him. "Edward, I'm sorry."

That's when guilt slammed into him full force. He made bad decision number two by pulling out his phone and calling his wife from the ambulance. There was concern for her well being behind it, he didn't want her to see them arrive back to the station without him. She answered on the first ring and was obviously worried, she knew that no news was good news. In a life where they both worked full time and had two kids to keep track of, if they didn't hear from each throughout the day, that was usually a good sign. "Edward? Are you okay?"

He didn't know what to say, he wasn't okay, he'd done something stupid, on complete impulse. "Edward, who is that? Who are you talking to?" Tanya asked.

"Don't worry about it," he said it slightly harsher than he should have.

"Edward? Who's with you?" Bella was sounding more irritated with every word.

"Can you meet me at the hospital?"

"The hospital? What?"

"Please just meet me at Forks General."

"Is it you? Are you hurt?" he could hear her crying over the phone and it broke his heart.

"No, baby, I'm fine. Just meet me. I don't have a vehicle here."

If she was curious as to how he got to the hospital, she didn't let on, as if knowing he wasn't hurt was enough for her. He didn't know what to do. When Tanya cried out to him, he hadn't even thought about it. That scared him. It scared him to death. "Edward, look at me," Tanya was saying, and for a second, it made sense to him why he wanted to protect her. As long ago as it was, he had vowed to protect her. It had been him reacting to a situation...and he figured if he hadn't done it...he didn't know if he could live with himself. She was scared and at that moment, for the first time in a situation that had to do with the two of them, she had needed him. It was selfish of him, it was wrong of him to want to feel that from her, and he didn't want to think about what it said for his sanity but in a way, this was his way of telling her goodbye.

Goodbye was such an overused word. It could be goodbye until tomorrow, until you see someone next, until you met them in the afterlife...but sometimes goodbye was there purposely to cause hurt. It was there to cause heartache. It was there to rip out your soul and trample it. The problem was, not saying goodbye could hurt much, much worse. He had waited years to get his final farewell. He wasn't prepared for it before, even when Bella was already in his life, he kept letting himself go back to the idea that there might be a chance that Tanya could change.

It wasn't until after he committed to Bella, to love her for the rest of his life, that he knew any love he had felt for his ex was completely gone. He hated that it had to take so long, that her giving Kaley a sleeping pill wasn't enough to ruin all the love that he still felt for her. Funny thing about love, it went hand in hand with hate. You always hated the ones who hurt you the most, and most of the time, they were people you loved. Anyone else, you didn't give a shit about. You rolled your eyes and got on with your life.

Looking down at the woman in front of him, he realized a lot of things. The woman he married had died long ago and in her place this awful, hateful woman had shown up. That for once, she needed him but he couldn't find it in his heart to hate her enough to either let her suffer on her own or love her enough to truly do anything to help her. Lastly, and most importantly, he realized that instead of directing all the hard feelings towards himself, that it was okay to blame her. He thought he had come to those terms at the beach but with her in front of him, it solidified that knowledge.

She had left him when he needed her the most. She had turned her back on him and his child. She had walked away without so much as a backward glance—more than once. She had selfishly tried to come back and take what wasn't hers. Kaley Ann was never hers, she was Edward's. She may have kept his daughter alive for nine months but that was it. That was the extent of her involvement. Now, he watched as they lifted the stretcher, preparing to push her through the waiting Emergency Room doors.

"Edward," Tanya said quietly, tears running down her face. "thank you for staying with me. When my parents come, you can go. I understand..."

She was terrified of hospitals, something Edward had always known, and he suspected a big reason why she wanted the abortion, she didn't want to go through the labor. "No," he said, just as quietly, walking beside the rolling bed as they went into Forks General. "I'm not staying this time. This time it's my turn to leave. You're here, you're stable, and now you're going to be alone. I hope you have a good life. I hope you find what I've found with my Bella. There is nothing here for us. Not anymore."

As they wheeled her through the large double doors back to the emergency room, he stopped and watched until they rounded a corner and went out of his sight. He prayed that Bella would forgive him for this, whatever this was, and as he turned to go back outside and wait for her, he saw her sitting about ten feet away in the waiting room. She had seen who he was with and there were tears streaming down her face.

While he tried his damnedest to curse himself for what he had just done, for making the effort to ride to the hospital with his ex-wife, he couldn't do it. He would forever hate himself for upsetting his Bella, the love of his life, but this had to happen. After years of Tanya Denali and all her scheming bullshit, he had his closure. Though he knew she was more than likely in shock and may just have a few broken bones, Tanya Denali was dead to him. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to his wife, bracing himself though he had no idea what her reaction would be.

**I know, I know, you all hate me. You're pissed at Edward and you hate what he did...and possibly him. I debated for many a moons over whether or not to write this and I was told by an avid reviewer that it's good to follow though with what I had intended to happen. Edward needed closure from Tanya and he finally got it. While I know some of you are seething and asking how in the world he still could have feelings for her, you just have to remember that Edward is Edward. He is a caring, loving person who believes that helping others is important above all else. This gave him the push that made him realize he really didn't hate her but he definitely no longer loved her. **

**Now, Bella's reaction will happen in the next chapter of course. Please stay tuned. I do want to say though that I have hit over 1000 reviews and I literally cried tears of joy. This is a huge deal and I have to thank everyone of you, reviewers, readers, recommenders...you are all the reason I am writing this story but remember that it is my story and I plan to execute the punches they way they were meant to be. Feedback is helpful, just please don't tears me apart. You will all forever be in my heart, and any newbie reviewers...welcome. You all mean the world to me! LP xxooxx**


	53. Chapter 53

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 53**

He hadn't specified and it had been on a total whim that she decided to head straight for the emergency room... it seemed that they had spent a lot of time there over the years. She had taken relief in knowing that Edward wasn't hurt but didn't know what was going on. So, she entered the familiar entrance and when she saw that no one was around, she plopped down in an uncomfortable plastic chair and pulled out her phone to call Edward. When an ambulance pulled up outside, Bella did a double take. Edward was in the back of the ambulance and instead of being on the stretcher, he was sitting beside it.

There was no emotion on his face as he looked down at the other person intently. She strained her eyes but wouldn't realize who his partner was until she saw the blonde hair that matched her own daughter's perfectly. Edward was riding in an ambulance with Tanya fucking Denali. She had thought for the longest time that the bitch was out of their lives. Since she had left years ago to head to Canada...or where ever it was she decided to head after arranging for her parents to meet their grand daughter...she nor Edward had been in contact with her.

At least to her knowledge, Edward hadn't been in contact with her. Now, she watched as he came out of the ambulance, and couldn't help but feel piercing in her heart. This hurt. She couldn't remember the last time she had been truly angry with her husband. Of course they fought. They fought over dishes and laundry and the typical. They never fought over exes and hardcore issues that she knew tore apart many other couples. Now, feeling the pain of betrayal like acid in her mouth, she understood now how those issues ruined marriages—how it had ruined her husband's first marriage.

She watched as they came through the doors after Tanya reached for him. Bella couldn't tell what was being said between them but Edward was bent over a little, obviously telling her something he didn't exactly want the paramedics to hear. It wasn't until he stopped and turned to look at her that she realized she was crying. When he began to walk towards her, Bella shook her head, and planted herself where she stood.

"Bella..." he began but she cut him off.

"I don't understand. Please don't tell me if I don't want to know..." she began walking towards the doors to leave, as if in a trance. He followed close behind and she realized she was shaking as she went through the automatic doors. He wouldn't cheat. There was no way. This was Edward, the man who had been scorned by it enough to know that it could kill a person, so why the hell was he escorting his ex-wife to the hospital. Thoughts spun in her head as she unlocked the doors and got in.

Edward ran over to the other side but quickly said, "Let me drive. You're upset..."

"I'm fine to drive," she said bitterly, putting the Volvo in reverse and carefully backing up. She had buckled her seatbelt—a total habit for her, and swallowed hard. "Bella, love, please just listen to me."

"Tanya? Tanya? Really?" Bella replied, incredulously.

"She was the one in the car..."

"Why would you stay with her? You do realize that the EMT's could have handled it!"

"Bella, I know. Please, just calm down. You're worrying me. Think about the baby...if we wreck..."

"I'm always thinking about the baby! My entire life is changing for this baby and yet you are out with your ex!"

"That's not fair!" Edward argued, clenching his fists.

"Okay, yeah, get mad at me. I can't even give Jake a kiss on the cheek without you thinking I'm going to up and leave you. Yeah, go ahead and rescue Miss Manipulative Bitch and then tell me that Jake and I make you uncomfortable!"

They became silent for a few moments. Bella tried desperately to control her tears, not wanting him to see them. She didn't want to give him the benefit. "Where are the kids?" he asked, obviously concerned.

"With Alice and Jasper. I thought something awful happened! I was terrified that you had been hurt again! You do realize that you aren't totally healed from that fall you took three years ago and now you want me to just be relaxed when you call and tell me to meet you at the hospital? I know why you were so damn calm about it now, you were with Tanya. Perfect, blonde, perky Tanya..."

"Oh, stop it!" Edward said angrily, and Bella actually winced. They really never fought like this.

"Stop what?"

"_You_ are my life! I would give anything for you!"

"But not _her_! No matter what, she's always there, always in the back of your mind! I'm not allowed around Jake because you're afraid he'll hurt me physically but I have to sit back and watch as you grieve your marriage to a woman who tried to drug our daughter. Fuck you, Edward!"

They pulled up to the house then and she got out, angrily walking in. She felt him watch her and knew he was following her as she made her way to the bedroom. Grabbing her small duffel bag she grabbed some clothes from her drawers. "Where are you going, Bella?" Edward asked, obviously becoming more and more pissed off.

"To stay with Alice."

"No. You're not!"

"I really don't want to do this with you. I'm tired. The kids are already there..."

"They should be home. They should be home with us."

"Well," Bella took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was about to come out, "I don't want to be home with you right now!"

Edward looked like he had been slapped in the face. "You are pregnant with my child, Bella."

"You should have thought about that a little sooner. Maybe before you started to play hero with your ex-wife!"

"Don't do this. Please. Don't take my kids and keep them..."

"God, you act like I'm kidnapping them! You told me to go to a hospital. I was NOT taking Robby back there! They are already with Alice and Jasper. The three of us will be staying the night. I'll call you after I calm down..."

"Don't leave. Bella, come on," he pleaded with her.

She zipped her bag up and put it over her shoulder. "I'll be back eventually. I need a break," she said, pushing past him to the front door.

He didn't let up and followed her to the car, holding her door open. "Bella, you are pregnant and you are upset. I don't want you driving like this!"

"I'm fine! Let go of my door!"

"Bella!"

"What? If I get into a car accident at least I know I'll have you to come save me!" With that, she watched as he let go of her door and she reached out and slammed it shut. His words of caution, though, did stay with her and she looked carefully before pulling away slowly. She wasn't angry enough with him to let any harm come to herself or his child. That wasn't what this was about. She was done waiting for Tanya and the effects from his previous marriage to become resolved with him. If anything, she wanted to give him alone time to think.

The drive to Alice's was slow and painstaking, she was trying to calm herself down, trying to get the stress level down a few notches. Alice saw her pull in and when she saw that Bella was crying, she met her at the door. "Bells?" Alice asked, her eyes wide.

Jasper came up behind her, then, obviously wanting to know if she was okay. She didn't bother with him, though, just turned to Alice. "Edward was with Tanya. Where are the kids?"

Alice gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth, "With Tanya how? Like _with_ Tanya with Tanya or just like a leisurely stroll with Tanya?"

"Bella," Jasper spoke up, "I don't think..."

It hit Bella then. He knew. He was there. "Why didn't anyone tell me? Wait, seriously, where are the kids?"

"They're fine. We didn't tell you because it wasn't our business..."

"He's my husband! It's _my_ business!"

"James talked to him before we left. We had to wait to move the car and until we got back, you were already gone. I just walked in the door a few seconds ago. Bella, he was just trying to help her..."

"How many guys are on the department?" When Jasper didn't say anything, Bella asked again, "How many, Jazz?"

"Seven."

"Seven. There were six other guys totally capable of handling her. Why did it have to be him?"

"Bella enough," Alice said, her voice trying to sound demanding. "You don't need to take this out on Jasper. If you want to get upset, then you call your husband, who by the way you are running from."

"I'm not running..."

"Fine then, did you let him explain?"

"No."

"Didn't think so. Come on. Let's go in, have a cup of tea, get some sleep and you'll go home tomorrow and let him talk."

"What if there's more to it, Ally?" Bella asked in a whisper. "What if he started seeing her?"

"That's insane," Jasper spoke up again, "he would never cheat on you."

"If you had stuck around for an explanation, you'd already know. Don't tell me you don't trust him," Alice added.

"I do. It's just that things have been different between us lately..."

"You're pregnant! A lot has changed between Jasper and I since this little one came along," she said patting her growing belly. Bella began to cry, then. She assumed it was frustration but it easily could have been because she was exhausted. "Alright, sweetie, let's get the kids into bed...they can sleep in the guest room. You can have the pull out..."

The guest room was set up nicely for two kids with two twin beds but Bella knew Robby wouldn't handle that well. This was a new place and he couldn't sleep with Kaley in the room with him. "I'll sleep on the pullout with Kaley, Robby needs to be able to sleep by himself."

When everyone was settled in for the night, Bella was glad she had composed herself long enough to grab some of the kids' sleep clothes that were in a clothes basket that didn't quite make it out of her and Edward's bedroom. Thinking of their room made her feel sick. Robby seemed to have sensed something was wrong and was completely quiet as Bella tucked him in for the night. When she leaned down to kiss him, she noticed his little body was shaking. "Buddy, it's okay. We're just having a sleepover at Aunt Alice's."

"I want daddy," Robby said, looking up at her with those big, wide eyes.

"We'll see him tomorrow," she said quietly.

He just whimpered but became quiet as she began to go through their, "good night, sleep tight" routine. It didn't matter though and she knew it, Robby was in a new place and wanted his daddy. Kaley peeked her head in the doorway, and asked, "Mommy, why do we stay here?"

Bella didn't know what to say. "Mommy's tired, honey. Can we just stay here tonight so we don't have to drive back home?" she lied to her daughter.

Kaley shrugged and walked back out. By the time Robby was laying there quietly, Bella really was completely exhausted and was not looking forward to the next day when Robby would be fussy from not getting very much sleep. Tiptoeing out of the room, she went into the living room to climb in bed with Kaley. The little girl was curled up into a ball, already sleeping soundly, and Bella kissed her cheek before rolling over to go to sleep herself.

She had trouble sleeping, thinking about Kaley laying beside her. The little girl was the perfect mix of Edward and Tanya. It made her sick, still, just thinking about how Tanya went about things with her and she just simply could not understand how Edward could possibly want to let that woman back into his life. She was tormented with thoughts, things she knew were ridiculous but just couldn't shake from her mind. Things like Tanya and Edward having an affair, Tanya coming back into Kaley's life, Robby being exposed to her...she shivered, thinking about all of the stupid scenarios that played in her head. Finally, she rolled back over and pulled Kaley to her chest.

About an hour later, she heard screaming. Not just loud crying, not just a little kid playing around, full-on, terrified screaming. It was nothing knew, something she and Edward had been dealing with since they brought Robby home. Tonight, though, it was just her to take care of him and he was already upset Edward wasn't there. "Baby, hey," Bella said, entering the room and telling him things were going to be okay. That he was safe.

He was talking through his cries and Bella had trouble understanding him, though she could make out one thing very, very clearly 'daddy'. Jasper and Alice were now both watching from the doorway and Alice asked if she could do anything to help. Reluctantly, Bella nodded, and began to cry. "I need Edward."

Jasper immediately left and returned a moment later with the house phone in his hand. "Hey...you need to come over here...it's not Bella, man, it's Robby...Calm down, they're all safe, they just need you. All of them need you."

Bella reached out to her son and he climbed onto her lap as they both sat on the bed. They cried together and she watched Alice bring in a box of tissues and set them on the bed. It usually took about fifteen minutes to get to the Whitlock's from their house, Edward made it there in five. She heard him storm through the front door and by the time he made it to the bedroom, Robby was listening too. Bella worried he'd be angry with her, that he'd say something to scare the little guy even more, but the only look Edward had was one of concern. In fact, he looked scared.

The second he was through the door, Robby left Bella and flung himself at Edward. To him, his daddy would always be his protector. No matter how much Bella swore to keep him safe, he never felt truly okay unless Edward was around. Robby was still crying but he was smiling, he was relieved. Bella felt absolutely horrible but just as she went to open her mouth to apologize a wave of nausea hit her and she tried to choke back down what was coming up.

"Bella?" he asked, coming towards her but still holding Robby. She pushed past him and ran for the bathroom. Damn _morning_ sickness.

Edward clung to his son as his wife headed for the bathroom of her best friend. It was obvious she didn't want to talk to him. He was only called because of Robby. This was killing him. "Al, I'm going to take him home with me. Have Bella call me in the morning if she wants to talk..."

"You're not leaving her," Alice said, crossing her arms and blocking the door. Thankfully, Robby had quit crying and was dozing on his shoulder.

"Ally, she doesn't want me here..."

"She does. Look, she's way too tired to talk tonight. Just stay here. All of you."

"I can't ask you..."

"You aren't asking me anything. Put Robby back in bed and I'll go check on Bella."

"I'll do it. You need your rest. I'm going to at least try to get her to bed. I'll see you in the morning..."

"Come on, Al, he's right. Bedtime for you," Jasper said, taking her gently by the arm and leading her away.

Edward expected to find his wife hiding in the bathroom, waiting for him to leave, instead he heard her sobbing. Opening the door, he peered in and went right to her. Once they he was kneeling on the floor in front of the toilet with her, he tucked her hair behind her ear. "Are you still sick?"

"No...I don't...I don't think so," she said though her tears. Alice was right, she looked absolutely exhausted. He picked her up then, and carried her to the bed where he had seen that Kaley was lying down when he'd come into the house. Gently, he set her down as gently as possible, as she was already falling into sleep. Tucking her in beside his daughter, he got comfortable on the recliner but he still couldn't fall asleep. Instead, he sat for hours, watching his little daughter and his pregnant wife sleeping soundly in front of him.

Running his hands through his hair, he thought about his crazy life. He had over active daughter, an abused son, a pregnant wife with crazy hormones, his job consisted of being responsible for numerous people, and all the while he never though twice about it until that moment. When he was going through college, the first time around, had someone asked him where he'd be at age thirty, he would have said working as a lawyer. It also would have been the wrong choice for him. He had absolutely no regrets about his life and he prayed that come tomorrow, Bella would be just as happy with their marriage as him. Something told him that it wouldn't be that easy.

Bella woke up the next morning and for once didn't have to throw up, she figured she'd gotten it all out the night before. Plus the fact that she usually had a snack right before bed but on this particular morning her stomach was completely empty. Her head was pounding, though, and she realized she wasn't in a room with curtains that blocked light. Lifting her head from the pillow she saw that Edward was sleeping on the recliner, Kaley was sleeping on his lap with her little arms around his neck, and then she realized that she had really and truly messed up this time. She moved to get up and could feel herself get light headed. Sitting back down on the bed, she waited until the room stopped spinning. It didn't. While she held on desperately to consciousness, as if her body was telling itself to shut down, she tried to remember the last time she ate...and realized it was an early dinner at five thirty the night before. It was now eight in the morning. She hadn't eaten anything in fifteen hours. Edward was going to be pissed.

Biting her lip, she began to cry again. Had she just listened to him, Robby would have had a normal night, Kaley would be in her comfortable bed at home, Bella wouldn't have put their baby in danger by not eating like she should have been, and her husband—who had back problems to this day-wouldn't have had to sleep on a recliner. Forcing herself to try to make it to the kitchen, she stood up but only made it to the loveseat. Knowing she was going to pass out, she called out to Edward as loudly as she could.

Shortly after she fell, she felt him trying to pull her up. Everything was blurry and she clung to him, terrified that something was wrong with the baby. "I didn't...I didn't mean it...Edward, I'm scared..."

"I've got you..." was the last thing she heard him say before she gave into the darkness.

**I'm glad a lot of you agreed that Edward wasn't in the wrong :) I was worried that would be one chapter where people would become upset, though, I'm sure some of you are upset with Bella now... Anyway, sorry about the cliffy. I wanted to update today and I have to start getting ready for this evening's festivities...my bachelorette party :) I will probably update late tomorrow, and if not, you'll be hearing from me Monday. Thank you all so, so much for the amazing support...I wish I could hug each and everyone of my wonderful readers, reviews, p/mers and such! I love you all! Letzigpriness xx**


	54. Chapter 54

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 54**

"Mr. Cullen?" Edward looked up at the man in a white coat, completely in a daze, from his wife's bedside.

"Yeah?"

"She's alright," the doctor said, reassuringly—if not a little amused. "She's just asleep."

"They said...I heard someone say it could...that she might have slipped into a coma..."

"She _hasn't_. It was only mentioned by a paramedic because it's not uncommon. I've told you three times already that that's not what's going on. She'll wake up if you shake her, make a loud noise...bump into the bed too hard..."

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"Look, there's a waiting room full of people here for her, why don't you go calm everyone down. Let her nap for awhile until we get all the results from her blood work."

Edward nodded his head and stood up reluctantly. If she was just asleep, he didn't want to wake her, so he stopped himself before touching her hand before leaving. He did allow himself to listen to her heart beat. That and the baby's heartbeat, which they listened to when she was in the ambulance, were the best sounds he had heard all day.

He rounded the corner and found his family all looking at him with strained faces. Rose flung herself at him and his mom waited behind her for a hug from her son. Jasper was relaying all of this over the phone to who Edward could only assume was Alice. She had agreed to stay back with the kids since Robby wasn't going to be okay there with just Jasper. He told them the same thing the paramedics, doctors, and nurses all told him. They suspected that she was hypoglycemic. He didn't understand how someone who wasn't diabetic could have this problem. She was active, young, and not even considered underweight.

"She'll be okay, man," Emmett said, patting him on the back as his mom pulled him in for hug.

Whispering to him, she said, "I need to talk to you...privately."

His dad was currently talking to someone at the nurse's station and he just nodded and motioned her over the door and out into the hallway. "How is she? Really?"

"She's going to be okay...I guess. I'm scared." There he stood, thirty years old and crying in front of his mother. "I'm scared that something's going to happen to the baby, I am, but what if we weren't meant for this? What if we weren't meant to have a baby together? What if something happens to Bella..."

"You can't think like that, honey," Esme said rubbing his back. "Edward, she needs you. When I was pregnant with you, I was terrified. I think Bella is scared, from what you've both told me about the blood sugar and the morning sickness, it sounds to me like she's having a really rough pregnancy. It happens. Not everyone gets this perfect little bump and has a glowing face for the whole nine months. I know things must be difficult with Kaley and Robby, too. Your wife has two kids already and has never dealt with a pregnancy, especially not a difficult one. You can't let her stress about things."

"She was so mad at me..."

"What happened last night, Edward?" Esme asked quietly.

He sighed, knowing his mom wouldn't buy that the four of them were just at Alice's that early in the morning because they felt like having a slumber party. When he didn't say anything, she crossed her arms, "I spoke with Linda. They are here with Tanya. She said you're the one who called her. How long has she been back in town?"

"It's not like that, mom," Edward said firmly, frustrated. "We were dispatched to the scene of her accident. I pulled her from the car, called Linda, and rode with Tanya to the hospital. I stupidly called Bella from the ambulance and she saw me with her. We went home, she packed her bags, and left...the kids were already at Alice and Jasper's. Robby had an episode and Jasper called me to go over. Bella threw up, I put her in bed...I should have made her eat. God, I'm so stupid..."

"You could have reminded her...but she's an adult, too. I love her. You know I do. You know I would never say something bad about her to be unkind. The two of you both, together, need to sit down and work some things out. What happens if Robby has a problem and you're at work and she's sick? Maybe you should think about putting the kids back into daycare..."

"I can't with Robby. We can't."

"He goes to school. Just try it out. Who knows, maybe that's what he needs...to play with other kids. You and Bella have done wonders with him and you're teaching him how to be a kid. I just think we should expand his horizons a little, let him play with kids other than Kaley and Lily. It'll give Bella a break..."

"I'll talk to Bella about it but she loves being home with them," Edward said, unsure of how she'd react to him asking that.

He noticed a nurse walking towards them, "Just letting you know she's awake. The doctor will be in when I have the blood work back. I think you need to talk to her."

Without a second look back at his mother, he headed back to Bella's room. His wife was laying there by herself, dried tears were on her face and one fist was clenching the blankets while the other hand rested protectively over her belly. "Hey, love," he said quietly and she jumped, as if she didn't even see him walk in. He placed both hands on either side of her and kissed her lips. "You scared me, Bells."

That started her crying all over again. "I'm afraid that..."

"Shh...honey, everything is going to be okay...You're safe and so is the baby..."

"I'm afraid that you'll never forgive me," she choked out, trying again.

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked gently, rubbing her hand.

"I messed up. I messed up really, really bad...God, what if something happened to the baby..."

"Nothing happened to the baby. I heard the heartbeat, Bella. The baby is safe and healthy. We just needed to get some food into you. I'm sorry for what happened last night. I never meant to hurt you."

"If you...if you_ have_ been with her..." he watched her eyes close and more tears escape, "please don't tell me. I don't want to know. It's better that...I don't know."

Edward looked at her, profoundly upset by what she said. Was she seriously trying to tell him that if he was cheating she was just going to look the other way? Just the idea that she thought he would cheat on her made him sick. It was one thing for his mom to be suspicious, she wasn't around him much now that he was working a lot, but it was a huge blow coming from his wife. He remembered what his mom said about not stressing her out but he was truly upset with her. More upset than he'd ever been. So he stayed quiet.

"Where are the kids?" Bella asked.

"With Alice," he replied.

"I want to go home."

"You'll go when the doctor tells you it's okay."

Bella just nodded her head and shifted a little on the bed. He sat back in the chair he had ended up on and waited for the doctor. They sat in silence and she turned away from him, looking at the wall on the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

After about five more minutes a nurse came in with the doctor, who was flipping through papers on a clipboard. "Mrs. Cullen, how are we feeling."

"Better," she said, facing forward again and giving a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Good. Your baby is fine but we're going to have to make some changes. I want you eating. I want to see that you keep hard candy with you. I want you checking your sugar. I want you making sure it's at a decent level before you get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Mrs. Cullen..."

"Bella. Call me Bella."

"Bella, imagine what would have happened if you had passed out while driving," the doctor said, obviously trying to get his point across, acting as if she didn't already feel terrible enough.

"We understand," Edward said firmly, feeling the desperate need to protect her, despite how upset he was.

The doctor became quiet. "Good. It is what we thought. You're hypoglycemic and that's mean you'll have to test your blood and we're going to give you a diet plan to stick to..."

"Will it always be like this?" Edward asked. "Is she always going to have it?"

"Probably not. We'll keep an eye on her after the baby is born but she should be fine afterward...she's fine _now_, really...we just need to be more careful and really regulate things. Do you have any questions?"

Bella shook her head and Edward just stayed quiet. "Alright, the nurse will explain everything to you and you can be on your way."

Edward helped her get dressed in the clothes his mom had brought for her, all the while noticing that she wouldn't meet his gaze. "Hey, I'm going to go let everyone know what's going on. They wanted to give us some privacy or else I'm sure they'd be in here visiting already. Are you up for company?"

Bella just teared up again and shook her head. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, honey. I'll be right back. I'll just go tell everyone goodbye and that we'll call them later."

Bella watched him walk away, regret and guilt mixing in her stomach. Sitting down on the bed, she put her head in her hands and tried to figure out how to fix things. "Bella?"

Her head snapped up, eyes going wide at who was in front of her. Bella saw that she was on crutches, one leg in a full cast. There were also cuts on her face and arms. The blonde was still beautiful, though, and Bella immediately felt self conscious. It made Bella sick to realize that her husband's former wife would always be a blonde bombshell, even in a cast and with gashes on her face. "If you're looking for Edward, he's not here..."

"My mom told me you were here. I wanted to talk to you. I was hoping he would leave so that I could."

"I don't want you here. I just want you to leave my husband alone. I get it, okay? I'm not as pretty as you...and God, when did you even come back? How long?" Bella closed her eyes, knowing she really didn't want to hear the answer, she hadn't wanted to hear it from Edward, either.

Tanya was looking at her, a confused expression on her face, as she tilted her head to the side, she said, "I was on my way to visit my friend Carmen. I just got into town when I lost control of my car. Look, I don't know what you think happened but it's not like that...he's yours..."

Bella just looked at her blankly, relief flooding through her as she stared at this other woman, someone who caused problems for her and Edward since the beginning of their relationship. "So, when I saw you two here last night..."

Tanya actually had the nerve to laugh, "Are you kidding me right now? You think Edward would sleep with anyone behind your back? Seriously? That boy doesn't have a deceitful bone in that amazing body..."

Bella stood up then, immediately angry "Just leave..."

"I came to tell you thank you, Bella. For taking care of my daughter and husband..."

"For raising_ my_ daughter," Bella corrected her, putting at herself and then crossing her arms. "For taking care of your _ex_-husband."

"Biologically she will always be mine. I carried her for nine months...just as you are with this little one," Tanya said, gesturing to Bella's stomach. "It's hard, though, isn't it? It effects your entire body, I went through that with Kaley. I was by myself."

"That was _your_ fault," Bella spat.

Tanya just shrugged, "I'll always remember that little girl. It was never love for her that I felt but I never hated her. I never hated him, either..."

"You had an amazing way of showing that..." Bella commented through clenched teeth.

"Which is why I walked away. Why I will _always_ walk away. I love him too much. He's good. He is the definition of a good person. He makes mistakes, he's not perfect, but he never quits trying to be...and he never _acts_ like he is."

"Why the fuck did you have to hurt him so damn much?" Bella asked, unable to decide if she was crying because she was angry at Tanya or angry with herself for crying in _front_ of Tanya.

"To him, marriage is sacred. I was young and stupid and thought he'd be like every other guy who had cheated on me, hit me around...there were so many of those guys before I met him. I thought he would just turn away, maybe get a little revenge with one of those pathetic college girls who were constantly throwing themselves at him...I realized it wasn't going to be that way, though. Do you want to know the _worst_ part of it? Even if I would have asked him to forgive me, especially with him knowing I was carrying his child, he would have done it. Not right away but he would have..."

"No. He would have blamed himself and stayed with you for the sake of his daughter. That's as far as it would have gone. In reality, he would never forgive you."

"Either way, he made it quite clear yesterday that I mean nothing to him and for the first time since I met him, I believe it. You are right, Bella. I would have done nothing but hurt him...both of them...had I stayed apart of their lives. He loves you and I know that it's more than he has ever loved me. Take care of yourself, Bella."

With that, she turned and left, and Bella followed her out into the hallway, watching her leave. "Tanya?" The girl limped back around to look at her.

"You left before either one of us could say something," Bella said, walking towards her so that she could talk to her and no one else would hear it, "I will never forget what you did to my daughter. If it wasn't for the fact that we didn't have proof, you can bet your pretty, liposuctioned ass that we would have had you arrested for endangering a child. Coming around to see Edward is one thing, I won't be happy about it...but if you come near my daughter, or any of my children for that matter, I swear to God it will be the last thing you do. I will protect them. I don't give a _fuck_ who you are fucking...I don't care if you are screwing the best lawyer in the business. You will _never_ harm a child of mine again."

Tanya, surprisingly didn't say anything back, just hobbled back around and looked over her shoulder. "I wouldn't try. When it comes to you keeping them safe, I wouldn't expect anything less."

Bella was in shock, confused about whether or not to be angry, hurt, offended, or relieved by the discussion they had just had. Either way, she wanted her husband and she wanted to go home. To _their_ home. To _their_ bedroom. To _their_ bed.

"Bella, are you okay?" her husband asked, walking towards her from the other end of the hallway.

Striding towards him, she wrapped her arms around him and began to sob. "I love you. I love you so, so much. I didn't mean to hurt the baby."

"I know, sweetheart. Come on, let's get you, home," he said, kissing her forehead and wrapping an arm around her waist. Then said again in almost a whisper and with a smile, "Let's get you home."

Edward kept stealing glances at Bella as she dozed in the passenger seat beside him. They were in the Jeep, being that he had to get his mom and dad to bring that down as well so that he had a vehicle. That morning had been horrific and there was no way he was leaving her side. It was his second ride in an ambulance in two days. He was surprised by her reaction to him after he came back from letting everyone know that she was fine and they would call them a little bit later. He was still upset with her but couldn't find it in himself to be too upset now that he knew she was going to be okay. They needed to talk but he needed to get her home and safely in bed first.

Turning towards him in her seat, Bella said quietly, "I don't know if I should tell you this...but...Tanya talked to me today..."

He realized after a few seconds that he had literally slowed the car down in the middle of the road. Composing himself, he sped back up and swallowed. "She was in the room with you?"

"Yes..."

"Why didn't you call for someone? Why didn't you yell?"

"Edward, she's not a homicidal maniac..."

"You don't know that!" Edward said, trying to stay calm.

Bella just gave him 'the look' and he pursed his lips. "Do you want to know what she said to me?" he heard her ask quietly.

"Bella, there is nothing that woman could say..."

"She told me thank you. For taking care of you and Kaley."

"What did she ask you for then?" Edward scoffed, knowing Tanya was only nice when she wanted something.

Bella ignored him and kept talking, "She said that she left because you were too good for her..."

"Bella...come on..."

"Just listen. The only request she made was that I take care of myself. I mean, in her own fucked up way she was trying to be nice...I think."

"What did you say to her?"

Bella gave him a pleased smile and shrugged her shoulders, "I promised her that if she came near my children she better pick out a pine box and have a will ready."

After Pulling up in front of the house, he came around and opened her door. They didn't say anything as he led her into the house and straight back to their bedroom. "Ally's keeping the kids until this evening."

"Oh..." she said as guided her over the bed and got her comfortable.

Sitting down beside her, he leaned up against the pillows on his own side of the bed, "I need to talk to you."

She turned to him, a questioning look on her face, "I know nothing happened with Tanya. Believe me, if something had, she would have made sure I knew it..."

"That's not exactly what I wanted to say. Bella, I'm a little hurt that you would even consider the possibility that I would ever cheat on you. No, I'm a _lot_ hurt," he said, sitting up so that he was facing her.

"I'm sorry..."

"No. You listen to me. You wouldn't listen to me last night and now you're going to hear me out because you think I'm cheating on you...do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Do you know what she's put me through? I went with her in that ambulance because she was scared and she was asking for me directly. I get that it was a stupid thing to do but I'm glad I did it. Bella, I was sitting there, right beside her—this woman that at one point in time I had vowed to protect, and I couldn't even find the ability to hold the hand she was reaching for me with. I couldn't do it. I don't love her but I've also realized I don't hate her either. She means nothing to me.

In all these years that we've been broken up, I just thought that it was because she wasn't around that I didn't miss her...now I know it wouldn't have mattered. I was meant to be your husband and the father of Kaley and Robby. When this new baby comes, I'll the father to him or her but I won't sit here and let you tell me you're okay with my sleeping around. That's bullshit. If I ever cheated on you, I'd want you to leave me...to tell me that I'm a horrible person..."

"You're not. I know you're not...Edward, I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm upset and sometimes I just want to cry and then I get really mad and you're never here and when I saw you with her..." Edward watched as she began to cry again.

With a softer tone, he shook his head, "You're hormonal, Bells. That's what happens when you're pregnant..."

"I'm scared that I can't do this. You said it yourself, I'm smaller than a lot of people, what if something bad happens when it comes time to have the baby?"

"It's okay to be scared. You just can't let it take away the experience of carrying this little one," Edward said gently.

"I am excited for the baby. I want to hold him or her. I want to hear the baby laugh for the first time, I want to know what it's like to give birth. I have two awesome children but I never got that opportunity. There's just so much to be scared of."

"There's just as much to be excited about."

"You aren't the one going through this. I'm sick every morning, I'm gaining weight, I have to eat all the time because if I don't I end up in the _hospital_, I just sit and cry for ninety percent of the day..."

"Alright, hey, I think maybe a few things need to change around here. I was thinking that maybe we could call the daycare..."

"This is summertime, though...I get to spend all day with them..."

"I know you love that but I'm just worried that they're going to take too much out of you. This way, you can sleep in, if you need to be in the bathroom all morning then you won't have to call Rose or Alice..."

"Robby isn't going to handle this well..."

"You're a teacher, Bells. You know better than anyone that a kid needs to have other kids to socialize with. It'll be good for him," Edward said but he still felt unsure about that.

"Okay. Alright. If I start feeling better can we just maybe do half days with them? I was just really looking forward to spending the summer with them, especially Robby. What am I supposed to do all day?"

"Rest."

"What happens at the end of August when I have to go back to work?"

"We'll figure that out when it happens, Bells. Who knows, come August, you may be completely comfortable and ready to go back. We'll make it work."

They became quiet for a little while and he leaned back against the pillows again. As she slid over to him, he put an arm around her and pulled her even closer. Bringing his hand down, he didn't know how upset she still was with him, but she seemed to have calmed down. "Is this okay?" he asked before pulling her shirt up to where he could see her little bump.

"You never have to ask that," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

Bending forward he kissed her belly and ran circles over their little one. "Can I ask one thing?"

"Hmm?" she asked, closing her eyes and relaxing.

"Don't take the kids like last night...I'm not...I'm not used to being away from Kaley like that..."

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking and really it was only because they were with Alice already. I never would have kept them from you to be mean. Ever. I couldn't and they wouldn't let me."

She was looking at him, wide-awake now, and he kissed her belly again, "I was so worried about you two."

"We're safe. We're both here with you and we're both safe," she replied, running her fingers through his messy hair and down over his jaw.

"Before you go back to sleep..."

"I've slept plenty today, let's go for a walk. It's beautiful outside."

"Alright, a short walk but I was going to say that you have to eat something first. Let's check out those papers the doctor sent."

**Thanks for the reviews and the party wishes! I had a blast :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I will probably not get to update until Tuesday. Reviews are very inspiring :) LP xxoo**


	55. Chapter 55

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**This chapter is rated M for a reason!**

**Chapter 55**

As the summer went on, things with the baby were progressing well. They had yet to get an ultrasound but Bella's belly was growing, as was her appetite, which Edward was very thankful for. "I'm taking the kids school shopping, do you need anything while we're gone?" Bella asked one Saturday when he was heading out to go to the station. "No. Are you going by yourself?"

"I was planning to."

"Why don't you see if Rosalie wants to go? Lily's going to need some things too..."

"This isn't about Lily needing new clothes, is it?"

He sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I just..."

"Don't like me being alone with the kids at a big store," she finished for him, already knowing what he was going to say. "Rosalie is visiting with her father today and is going to go to the station after to get some things accomplished for this year's fireman's gala. I already asked her if she wanted to go."

"Well then, let's compromise. Let me keep Robby and you take Kaley."

"You're going to take him with you?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side.

"I'm perfectly capable. I know how to take care of him..." Edward said and Bella knew he was annoyed with her.

"I didn't mean it like that. What happens if you get called out and Rose isn't there?"

"I'm going to leave him by himself to wonder the streets and be kidnapped. We can find him later." Edward said deadpan.

"Edward, I'm serious. That's not funny..." she said, clenching her fists.

"I will stay back with him or call my mom to come pick him up. Would you relax and trust me with our son?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "Take Kaley and go wild. I know you love dressing her up. Speaking of...I kind of need a date for this gala...I picked up this really cute girl there a few years ago and she looked pretty stunning...I can't remember what her name was...Cinderella...Snow White...I don't..."

"Shut up, you big Beast," Bella laughed, kissing his prickly cheek, as he hadn't shaved since Friday morning. "I believe her name was Bella...or Belle had you asked your daughter at the time."

"I love you, baby," he smirked and nuzzled into her neck.

"I love you, too. Don't worry, I'll be sure to buy a pretty dress with my husband's credit card," she laughed, "although, that's something Ally and I always do together. So, I'll get it a different day."

He just nodded and asked, "When's the last time you checked your sugar? What's with the hard candy?"

"Fifteen minutes ago and it was only slightly lower than normal so I'm working to get it back up...I'm fine, Edward. I promise."

"Why don't you go eat an apple and I'll get Kaley ready to go?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought the guys were waiting for you at the station?"

"They are. I have a pregnant wife and two kids. They'll understand."

Bella made sure Kaley was strapped in before climbing into the driver's seat of the Volvo. "Are you ready to go do some shopping?"

"I'm ready!" Kaley yelled.

Bella rolled her eyes, she definitely got her love of clothes shopping from her biological mother...or maybe her Aunt Alice, not Bella. "Okay, okay..."

When they got to the department store, it was packed with people, many had small children with them and were doing the same back to school shopping as she was. "Can I get something for the baby?" Kaley asked as Bella was holding her hand and trying to navigate through the crowd.

Bella stopped and looked at her with a smile, "If you get enough clothes for yourself than you can help me pick out some things for him. How does that sound?"

"Okay," her daughter smiled.

Bella continued with her over to the childrens section and began picking up everything from shirts to little jeans to shoes and even socks. Edward and her had been very careful with their money and she made sure to budget in school clothes for them and herself. Robby pretty much had all summer clothes as he had nothing else when he came to live with them. Kaley had a good bit of clothes already but her pants were a little short and her shirts were starting to look a little ragged. While Edward and her did the bills together, she was more in charge of watching their spending. He did the utility bills while she worked on the credit card bills. Thankfully, almost every time they came out on top and had been putting away money in a savings account.

Since Kaley was a baby, Edward had been saving for her for college. She already had a nice little egg sitting in a trust account at the bank. They had begun to put aside money for Robby but just included it into their savings until they had him permanently as their own. They both agreed that if God forbid he was taken away from them, they would give the money to his new caregivers...unless they saw reasonable cause not to.

Kaley was good about dressing herself, she always had been and after each outfit she would be bluntly honest with Bella. If she didn't like something, she told her. When they had two weeks worth of outfits picked out, all of which was on sale, Bella and Kaley made their way over to the baby section. "Is Aunt Alice getting a boy, too?"

"We don't know yet, bug, it's a surprise," Bella said absently, going through a bin of baby socks.

Out of nowhere, Kaley asked, "Mommy?"

"Yeah, honey?" she turned to look down at her daughter, sensing something was wrong.

"Are you going to leave?"

"When?" Bella asked, confused.

"When the new baby comes..."

"Wait, why do you think I'd leave...I'll never leave you, Kaley. Ever."

"Daddy and Aunt Rose were talking and they said that you left and daddy had to take care of me and he didn't know what he was doing..." Bella watched in horror as Kaley began to cry.

"Kaley Ann, look at me," Bella said, taking her by the shoulders.

"I didn't leave you when you were a baby and daddy did a very good job of taking care of you. He loved you and would do anything for you. You must have heard wrong," Bella knew she hadn't heard it wrong, as far as Kaley was concerned, Bella was her mother. She was just confused about the situation. Taking a deep breath and trying to figure out how to fix this, knowing she really needed to talk to Edward first, she just shook her head. "Honey, I love you. Do you know that I love you?"

Kaley just nodded her head and rubbed her eyes, Bella knew the little girl needed a nap. She pulled her to her chest, wishing that she could pick up her daughter but knowing that would be way to much stress on the baby. "You are mine, Kaley. Nobody is ever going to get me to leave you..."

"Or daddy and Robby?"

"Daddy, Robby, the new baby...I'm here to stay, honey. Now come on, do you want to pick something out for the baby?" she asked, trying to get her mind on a different topic and wondering how much Kaley had heard from Edward and Rosalie.

Bella was heading back home when she decided to stop at the station and see Edward. It was no secret that she was feeling really sore already and was exhausted. As she and Kaley headed through the left bay of the department, the first person she saw was her husband, shirtless and wet. She knew that they were cleaning the engines and she watched as the muscles in his arms and back flexed while he wiped down the side of a rescue vehicle. Bella blushed when Kaley pulled on her arm, "Mom?"

Laughing, she shook herself out of her trance and led her towards the door to go upstairs. To her surprise, Edward got her around the waist and kissed her neck before she could make it over. "Hey, lovely," he laughed as she turned to face him and he pressed his warm slick skin against her silk top.

"Kaley, honey, go upstairs and...um..." Bella stared at his green eyes, unable to make a coherent sentence.

Edward laughed, "Why don't you go play with Robby. He's over there playing with Lily."

As Kaley wondered off, Edward looked down at her top, it was way tighter in the bust area than she was used to and she also realized her nipples were at attention. "Cold?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. It was about eight five degrees and even his wet skin felt hot to her.

With a blush that she knew was making it's way down to her swollen breasts, she answered with a quiet, "No."

He immediately gave her that crooked smile of his and she felt him press his erection against her. Just as her mind went to what she wanted to do with it, Emmett call out, "Cullen, this isn't going to wash itself! I want to get home as much as you do but come on!"

Edward saw that the kids weren't paying attention to them so he flipped Emmett off before turning back to his wife. Sex was still a difficult thing for them, not because of Edward, though. Bella rarely felt well enough for it. "Tonight?" he asked her now, practically pleading.

With a small smile Bella nodded her head in agreement. "Tonight. Oh, by the way, watch what you say to Rose in front of your daughter. She's not so little anymore that she doesn't understand it."

"What did she hear?" he asked, glancing over at her and Robby.

"That her mother—who she assumes is me—left he when she was a baby. Our five year old asked me today if I was going to leave after the baby came."

"What did you say?"

"No."

"Well, I already knew that. Did you say anything else?"

"I told her I loved her and was here to stay...that she must have just heard wrong."

"Are we going tell her the truth?" Edward asked.

"I kind of feel like that's your decision..."

"Cullen!" Emmett called again.

"We'll talk about it later. It doesn't have to be decided now. Go before Emmett forces you..."

Being that it was a Saturday and everyone was finally together, Emmett wanted to go out for some beers. Bella and Alice, both exhausted, just simply wanted to go home. Edward looked torn and Bella couldn't help but laugh at his tormented face, the man wanted sex...but he also wanted to go have fun with his friends. Walking over to him, she sat down on his lap and whispered, "I have to take the kids home and get them into bed anyway...it'll be at least a few hours until anything can really happen..."

"Bella, this isn't just about that," he said quietly to her, "I don't like leaving you alone at night."

Bella knew that nighttime was the worst with her sugar, it always dropped about three hours after dinner and if she didn't eat it would be dangerously low the next morning—hence her trip to the hospital. "I'll be fine. I know what to expect and what to do. Whether you're there or not, I can handle it. Go have fun. When's the last time you've been out with everyone?"

"Promise me you'll call if you need me," he pleaded, ignoring her question.

"I promise."

Bella stood up after Edward told her he would just shower and change at the station. Robby and Kaley had been playing with Lily over by a just-cleaned engine and Emmett was watching them to make sure they didn't fall or get hurt. All three of them had on helmets that were much too large and Bella wished she had a camera with her. "Well, I'm going to take them home and get something to eat. I can tell it's time for food..."

"Where's your monitor?"

"In the car," Bella answered back.

"Check your sugar now before you start driving. If you need to eat it's probably low..."

"I will. Keep an eye on them until I get back, okay?"

She saw that things looked normal but popped a piece of candy in her mouth and headed back to get her kids. Neither wanted to leave and Kaley started to throw a little tantrum until Edward came over. "What's going on?"

"She doesn't want to leave," Bella replied, taking Robby by the hand.

"Kaley Ann..." Edward began firmly, the little girl automatically straightened up and listened. "Do you want to go to bed as soon as you are finished with dinner?"

She shook her head and started crying again, "Nooo..."

"Alright, come here," he picked her up and kissed her forehead before turning to Bella. "I'm betting someone needs a nap."

"Oh yeah..." Bella agreed.

"Come on, I'll help you get her to the car."

He buckled Kaley in and went around the other side to Robby, "Hey, little guy, thanks for coming with me today. Did you have fun?"

Bella watched as Robby nodded his head and Edward kissed his cheek before pulling his straps tight to make sure he was properly in his booster seat. "You two be good for mommy, okay?"

Kaley was already past out and Robby looked like he was heading there soon. "I'll see you when you get..."

"I'll follow you home now. The kids need to be brought in and there's no way you're carrying them yourself. I'll follow you in the Jeep."

Twenty minutes later, Edward trailed little kisses down her face and neck before whispering that he would be home in a little while. She was sitting at the kitchen table eating leftover Stromboli since the kids were both asleep. She figured she'd make them something after they woke up. When Edward left, her food container thrown away, and she was freshly showered, she grabbed her cell and decided to make a call that was long over due.

"Bella? Holy shit, I thought you dropped off the face of the earth!"

"I haven't heard from you either there army boy..." Bella said, pretending to be hurt.

"Sorry. I just...now that I'm back I'm trying to not test the waters."

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked with a smile.

"I just don't want Edward getting annoyed with me for calling all the time. It was one thing when I was overseas but..."

"Jake, he's a lot better with it than what he was..." Bella said defensively.

"I thought you guys were going to come visit again."

"We were going to but things got a little crazy and my sugar dropped and..."

"I didn't even know you were having problems. Are you like diabetic now?"

"No. Well, kind of, I guess...I'm hypocglycemic so I have to check my blood with that finger monitor thing and I have to make sure I eat and everything."

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too, Jake. Edward's not the reason that we haven't been down though. I really think he's doing a lot better with his jealousy issues. Which, may I remind you, have a lot to do with the stupid stunt you pulled the night everything happened with Quil."

"Hey, don't forget about that bitch ex-wife. It's still weird thinking of Edward as having been married before."

"You're telling me," Bella said with a laugh. "I really don't mind it, though. I mean, I hate that he had to deal with all of that but I got Kaley from the woman so I really can't bring myself to hate the fact that he was married before. I love him. A lot."

"So convince him to bring you out here for a weekend...or come alone..."

"Jake, two kids and a husband, remember? 'Alone' isn't a term I really get to use anymore."

"Well, mention it to him, about all of you coming. I hate this separation crap. By the way, when the baby comes, I will be down to meet my new niece or nephew."

"Awesome. Which reminds me, that's already a battle to be had with my mom and Esme. They both have mentioned being in the room when I have the baby. I don't want that. I want this to be about Edward and I bonding with the baby before everyone else gets the chance, ya know?"

"So, you don't want me in the room while you give birth?" Jake asked, pretending to be offended.

"Shut up," laughed Bella. "Yeah, could you imagine Edward with that one. He'd kill you."

"Stand your ground, Bells," Jake said, becoming serious again. "This is your first baby. I know you have other little ones but this is one you are having the opportunity to go through everything with. Don't let your mom or anyone else take that from you. I still can't believe you and Alice both, popping out babies...I feel like I'm slacking or something..."

Bella laughed again, "In due time, Jake. In due time..."

Glancing at the clock she realized Edward had been gone for about two hours already and the kids still weren't up. They would be up early the next morning but she decided to let them sleep off their busy day. Still talking to Jake she checked on them and decided they were probably going to be out for the rest of the night. Feeling tired herself, she promised Jake a call in a couple of days and started to head into her bedroom. She was just getting comfortable in bed when the front door opened and footsteps came up the stairs. Immediately panicking, Bella grabbed her phone and peeked around the corner, ready to call the police, when she saw her husband heading towards her.

He smirked and she saw that he was carrying a container of something. Peering at him in suspicion, she leaned into him as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her in for a hug. "You scared me, what are you doing home so early?"

"I missed you and wanted to get to you before your nighttime snack. I brought you something."

Popping the Styrofoam container open, Bella watched in wonder as he revealed a warm apple dumpling with vanilla ice cream on top. "This is why I married you," Bella smiled, kissing him on the cheek and breathing in that amazing Edward scent.

"The kids are still asleep?"

"Yup. I think they're down for the night..."

"Excellent," he smirked before saying, "I'll be right back."

Pouting, Bella watched him walk away...taking the dessert with him. Sighing, she went over and fluffed the pillows before leaning her back against them and relaxing. It was hot in their room and she couldn't tell if it was from the summer heat or her crazy, whacked out hormones. She tried not to think about her bloated, sweaty self while she waited for her husband to do whatever he just couldn't wait to do in the kitchen. When he finally came back, her present was in a bowl and he had a spoon.

He sat down so that he was facing her and kissed her cheek. "You don't smell like a brewery..." Bella observed.

"Nope. I hung out but I didn't drink anything..."

"Why?"

"I wanted to get home to you. I can't remember when the last time was for us," he said, leaning down and pulling her shirt up over her little belly. Kissing the bump, he smiled up at her.

"I love that you're so excited but I don't feel...that pretty...right now..." she stammered out, trying to figure out how she really felt about herself.

"You are gorgeous, Bells. Everything about you. I mean, you were beautiful before but now that your body is filling out because you're pregnant with my child..." he began kissing further down and he looped his fingers around the waistband of her capri sweatpants. She squirmed, realizing just how excited she felt for this as well. He pulled the band down just enough to leave kisses and trail his tongue over the area above her most sensitive spot. She whined when he let the material fall back into place.

"You need your snack first," he smirked, digging a piece of apple from under the big dumpling and holding the spoon to her mouth. Bella loved the idea of him feeding her and realized even that was making her wet. The apple was delicious and he brought another spoonful of dumpling and ice cream to her lips.

After spooning a few more bites to her, enough so that she was starting to feel full, he took the cold licked-clean spoon and ran it over her exposed skin above her breasts. The cold spoon gave her goosebumps as she arched her back slightly. "I love you like this..." he said, bringing the spoon down to get a little ice cream on it. He rubbed the spoon again over her breasts before bending down to lick it all back off of her.

After he fed her a few more bites, Edward set the empty bowl aside and took her hand, guiding it to his erection. Even under the material of his pants Bella could make out the perfect outline of him. For the second time that night, her mouth began to water. She stroked him for a little while before helping him unzip his pants. By the time he had himself out and in front of her, she was licking her lips and unable to tear her gaze from him. He pulled his shirt off and stood to slide his pants off. She watched the whole time, entranced with her husband's naked body. Suddenly, she felt awful about herself. She was lying on the bed, on top of the covers, so she decided to pull her top back down over her stomach.

"Bells...hey..." he breathed, lying down on the bed beside her, sensing she was trying to go chameleon and blend in with the sheets.

She began to pick at the comforter, unable to meet his gaze. She knew this wasn't the first time he had seen her pregnant body but because they had gone so long without sex, it seemed new to her—and nerve racking. Sure they showered together in the morning but this was different. Her body changed constantly. "I...I..don't think that we should. I mean..."

As if he wanted to get to the bottom of a very important mystery, he sat up, still completely naked and asked, "Why not? We've discussed it with the doctor and read about it...sex during pregnancy is completely safe for you_ and_ the baby..."

"I know," Bella said, feeling miserable.

"Are you sick? Do you need to check your blood?"

"No..."

"Then what is it, Bells?" he asked, obviously frustrated with her.

"I don't want you to...I don't want you to see me," she said in a rush before she could change her mind and not say anything.

"Are you kidding me right now? Do you see what I've got going on here?" he asked incredulously, gesturing to his rather hard friend.

"You don't get it. You're thinking about what I look like under these clothes but you don't really know. I change all the time and you aren't used to seeing me with extra weight on..."

"Uh, sweetie, you do realize we are in the shower together everyday..."

"It's different! We aren't messing around and I'm usually too sick in the mornings!"

"You've barely put any weight on," he said, stressing this fact. "If you are seriously worried about me not wanting you, I'm totally willing to let you believe that if you just help me out here, love. I'm fucking horny, okay? You have a husband with the serious case of blue balls because you think that I don't want to have sex with you...it's like an oxymoron!"

Bella tried not to laugh at him as he rambled on but immediately felt the need to kiss him. She sat up then, pulling him towards her and smashing her lips against his. After a good many minutes, and after the surprise wore off, she could feel him smile against her lips. Sliding a finger down to her breasts, he traced the top of them before going down to touch her sensitive nipples. She practically whimpered with joy as he watched her reaction to it, a smirk on his face.

Pulling back a little, he helped her sit up and pulled her shirt over her head, then her pants and then worked on the undergarments. Before she knew it she was naked and if her mind was self-conscious, her body was definitely betraying her. She was leaning back onto the pillows now and her husband pressed his naked body to her side. He was absolute perfection. Rubbing her legs together, she found slight relief from the dizzying reaction she was having to him being pressed into the side of her thigh. He was eye level with her breasts and slid his tongue out to lick her right nipple. It was like a shock shot through her body.

"I love your body like this, love," he whispered before latching on and sucking a little harder. She was literally grinding her teeth and could almost swear that she was going to come just from that little bit of foreplay. When she couldn't handle it any longer, desperate to have him inside of her, she turned so that she was on her side as well, facing him. As her nipple popped out of his mouth from the movement, she positioned herself to take him in.

Always the careful lover that he was, he reached down and played with her clit for about three seconds—long enough to know that she was ready for him, before sliding into her. A feeling of relief flooded through her as she whispered his name and held onto him tightly. Sex had always been a good part of their married life, until this crazy pregnancy hit, and it was usually fun and playful. This time, it was desperate and needed. She could tell it had been awhile for him, the way he was clutching her rounder, sweat-glistened body.

With her fingers pulling at his hair and his body pumping into hers, Bella felt the orgasm before she even knew it was on it's way. At first, it was almost to intense and she almost asked him to stop. He slowed down, obviously having felt her clamp down on him and knowing what it meant.

"Keep...going..." she choked out, holding onto him even tighter to ride out the wave. He kept it up for another three orgasms before she felt him begin to pulse.

Bella came again and he pulled out of her, gently rubbing her hips and taking it easy. They both knew she was going to be sore tomorrow, then again, his back probably would be to. For the small amount of sexual contact they had partaken in recently, she was surprised he had lasted that long. While he laid back against the bed, flat on his back and panting, she stayed on her side and pressed into him. As her hand came to rest on his heart, she felt it slamming.

He brought his hand up then, just so he could run his fingers through her hair and in the process push her head towards him enough to kiss her. "You have no idea how hard that was for me to go that long," he laughed breathlessly. "You're going to be the death of me, love. You and these damn hormones..."

**I hope you enjoyed this, it was a little longer than normal but they needed some lovin' :) I hate that it took a little longer to write, life is starting to kick my butt...the wedding is August 6th and my life is kind of upside down right now. In the next few chapters we are going to start jumping ahead, not too far, just a couple of months. Please keep up the reviews...I smile every time I see there is a new one, and I could use some smiles right now :) Until next time, LP xxoo**


	56. Chapter 56

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 56**

Bella woke up the next morning to find that she and Edward were both still completely naked and on top of the sheets. While she was still on her side, he was sitting up, watching her sleep with his finger playing with one of her curls. Blinking a few times, she smiled timidly, "What time is it?"

"It's early. We have a few hours before we have to be up for church. Lie back down and rest, love."

"My stomach is starting to turn. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep much longer...what about you? Why aren't you down here beside me?" she asked groggily.

"I like watching you sleep...especially without the clothes. It's the only time you really let me see you," he smiled.

Taking that as her cue to stand up and grab her robe, she asked, "What happens when I'm not pregnant anymore? What happens when if I don't get to keep the neat new boobs?"

"Then I get to play with the old, perfectly fine ones," he smirked.

"Are the nightmares back?" she asked, getting serious this time.

"No. I've been thinking about Kaley, though. Do you think that I need to talk to her about what she heard Rose and I saying? I mean, I wouldn't tell her what really happened...just reassure her for the thousandth time that we both love her..."

Taking his hand, she shook her head, "I think we need to keep telling both Robby and Kaley that neither one of us are going anywhere. This little one is bound to shake things up for them and I don't care if this is biologically my child or not, those two are mine as well, I could never replace or feel that I don't love them."

"Bella, I know I've told you this before but...there are truly not words to describe how much it means to me that you love and care for her the way you do..."

"Kaley's amazing. How could I not?"

"Before you came along, I swear to you—I even had this discussion with my mom once, I didn't plan to remarry. We both know I wasn't exactly celibate after the divorce but I didn't want anything long term. That was never my intention...there are very few women out there who would meet a recently married man, one with obvious baggage, and be willing to take care of his daughter like she was her own. There wasn't one person who I would have even considered introducing to her until I met you..."

"Because I was her babysitter," Bella laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"No. Do you remember the first day we met? The day Jake and your dad were moving you into Esther's? I fell hard, Bella. Like I said before, I would sit at work all day imagining coming home to you...as my wife...not just as my cute, younger nanny," he said with a smile. "For the first time since Tanya, I realized that I wasn't okay with being alone for the rest of my life. It wasn't because I realized I _could_ find someone and settle down, it was because I met you and realized I _couldn't_ live without you. Ever."

Bella was starting to cry and she desperately wished her hormones would control themselves for ten damn seconds. "You know, that goes both ways. You gave me the opportunity to love her..._and_ you. That was the reason I was so angry when you didn't tell me about Tanya. I was head of heels in love with you both and to find out that someone else was still there, someone who would always be linked to this little girl that I had fallen in love with, I freaked. I was terrified, Edward, scared to death that you would go back to her and leave me...I'd never be able to hold or play with or..._love_ Kaley ever again."

"Well, even at that point I was absolutely in love with you as well..."

"See, love is a crazy thing...but I do think both of our children are going to do fine with the idea that we love them, even after the baby comes."

"I thought about Kaley a lot last night. It never even crossed my mind that at some point she would ask me about the whole situation..."

"She's five. I didn't mean for you to sit her down and tell her what happened from beginning to end...if anything at all, we could just tell her that I adopted her as my own. I really don't think you should go into anymore detail than that but really, I don't know that anything really needs said. She seemed okay after I talked to her about it yesterday. She'll be okay."

"I'm just...I'm dreading when she is old enough to understand. What do I say to her, Bella? 'Honey, the woman who you know as your mother isn't really your biological mother. She took care of both of us after your real mom who I left alone to drug you ran out on us after sleeping with the neighborhood?"

Bella just gave him a look, "We both know you wouldn't say it like that. Stop it."

"Seriously, though. Do I tell her why Tanya left? I just don't know how to explain why I wasn't good enough to keep her mother around..."

"You are more than good enough to keep her mother around. I _am_ her mother and as I told Kal's yesterday, nothing is going to make me want to leave any of you..."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, rubbing his face in his hands.

"I know. I didn't mean to get upset, I don't like hearing you say stuff about not being good enough. She's still little, she doesn't even know how babies are made. The only reasons I brought it up were because I thought it was something you should know and I wanted you to realize you can't say things like that around her or Robby. They understand what we say now..."

"I still can't believe how big she's getting. It went so fast..."

"Pretty soon she'll be starting high school, going on dates..." Bella laughed at his pained expression when she mentioned the 'd' word. "What? Like you aren't going to let her date?"

Edward shook his head, keeping a stern and completely serious expression, "She's going to join a convent. I told you. The day she's old enough..."

"Oh, stop. I will not let you do that to her!" Bella said, playfully smacking his arm.

"I know, I wouldn't do that to her either...I swear to God, though, that boy better realize he has me, a whole fire department, an ex-soldier with anger issues, two grandfathers—one of which is a police chief, and Rosalie to deal with if he hurt her."

"How does it feel to be married to the daughter of said police chief and the best friend of an ex-soldier with anger issues?" she asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"It's nerve racking. At best. Jake and Charlie together can be rather intimidating," he laughed.

"Really? You don't act like it..." Bella was truly surprised by this. He'd never mentioned feeling uncomfortable around her father in the years they were married.

"Yeah, well if Kaley was twenty-two and brought home some guy who was five years older than her and had a daughter, I don't know how I'd take it..."

Bella said gently, rubbing his arm, "You'd realize that she was in love and back off. _That's _how you would take it. Quit thinking about this before you go bald from pulling at your hair. Besides, I have something else to ask you and you'll need hair to pull on..."

"Oh, God..." Edward said, bracing himself.

"I want to try to see Jake sometime soon."

"You're pregnant..."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" she asked, slightly amused.

"What if something happens and I can't get there..."

"I didn't say without you, did I? I want to go either visit him in Seattle—with you, or I want to invite him here for a weekend. You see Rose all the time. Let me spend some time with him before the baby comes. Please."

"Which would you rather do?" he asked, not meeting her gaze.

"I'd like to ask him to come down here but with him still on crutches and his counseling, that might be hard for him. Why don't we go to Seattle like we planned before? We can let the kids here with your parents and see if Jazz and Ally want to come. I'm sure she'd like to make the trip in and we can work on baby shower stuff with our moms, too..."

"You really want to go, don't you?" he said with an amused smile.

"I love Forks, don't get me wrong, but I really miss my family. Everyone is here for you: your parents, Rosalie, the department...I miss my family and the Brandons and Jake. I haven't seen Embry in over a year, Edward."

"Alright, do you want to try to go next weekend? The weekend after I have training."

"Yeah, that's fine," smiled Bella. Squealing a little, she kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going to go call Alice..."

"Bells," he laughed grabbing her around the waist and pulling her over, "why don't we wait until it's not six o'clock in the morning?"

"Can we go to school tomorrow?" Kaley asked from the back seat as they were on their way to church later that morning. Bella was happy to get the chance to go with them again, usually they picked her up after before going to visit Alice due to her being in the bathroom until about eleven thirty.

"Honey, school doesn't start for a couple weeks yet. Have patience," Edward laughed.

"Do I get a new teacher?"

"Yeah, Kal's. Remember, you're going to have Mrs. Jackson."

"Robby is having the same teacher too again."

Bella glanced back at Robby who was looking at Kaley with a smile. "Um...no, Robby is going to have Mr. Peters..." She noticed that Edward was staring out the windshield with a tense look on his face, They had discussed it as soon as the local paper announced the names of the homerooms for the kids. Robby was put with a male teacher and Edward felt it was truly not going to work out. Bella told him to let Robby try, that it might benefit him to be around a male teacher—he couldn't have female teachers for the rest of his life. She hoped that he would learn to trust the authority figure, plus she knew Alex Peters, he was young and super nice.

"I want Robby to be in my class," Kaley pouted.

"You two can't always be in the same class," Edward replied gently.

"But daddy..."

Bella had to laugh but covered it up. This was something she and Edward had many discussions about—Kaley couldn't pout to him and get whatever she wanted, something that her husband had a harder time dealing with than her daughter. "Kaley, that's just the way it is, honey," he said, his voice strained.

Bella glanced back and saw that Kaley was staring out the window, obviously feeling slighted. "Robby, are you excited about school?" Bella asked, changing the topic. He just shrugged, something he had picked up from Kaley and looked out his own window. For the sake of everyone, Bella dropped the subject.

After church, they made their way to Alice and Jasper's, excited for a leisurely afternoon of swimming. "Rose and Em are here..." Bella said, wondering what was going on. Usually, Sunday was the day that Rose visited her dad.

"They saw her dad yesterday, remember?" Edward asked and Bella shrugged. After they got the kids out, Edward carried Kaley, who had fallen asleep...again, they headed back to the pool house to get changed out of their Sunday best and into their swimming stuff. Rosalie and Jasper seemed to be sitting close together discussing something and Alice and Emmett were chowing down on potato chips.

"I love pregnant women!" Emmett exclaimed as soon as he saw them. Holding the bag of chips up, he waved them over.

"Why is that, Em?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"I don't feel like a pig when they're around..." Bella laughed as Alice slapped him on the back of the head playfully and Edward just shook his head at the exchange.

"Go get changed and we'll have some fun!" Alice announced, after Edward set Kaley down and Robby started to pull at Bella's hand. "I bought a floating basketball hoop!"

Edward began to head into the pool house with Bella and the kids when he felt a hand on his arm. "Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute," Rosalie said quietly.

"What's up?" He knew from the look on her face that she was upset.

"Can we go around to the front of the house? I...it's...private..."

"Yeah. Come on."

Before he left, he yelled in to Bella that he'd be right back and followed his best friend out of the gates to the Whitlock's front porch. "You lied to me," she began as soon as they were seated. Edward looked at her, knowing exactly what she must have found out about, but he decided to stay quiet, not wanting to get himself in trouble if that wasn't it.

"About..." he asked, trying to give her an innocent look.

"Don't fucking try it, Edward," Rose said, lowering her voice. "You know exactly what this is about..."

"If that's what this is about then I didn't lie to you. I just didn't tell you it happened."

"You _omitted_ something. That's no better."

"What do you want me to say? Apologize and tell you that I should have left her in the damn car to die?"

Rosalie just shook her head and looked away. "This isn't about you helping her that particular night. When she comes back, you make stupid ass decisions. Funny it happened the night before Bella ended up in the hospital."

Edward knew it was only a matter or time before she put the two things together. "You seriously think I don't feel guilty enough about it already?"

"What happened?" she demanded more than questioned.

"When?" Edward asked, becoming mildly annoyed.

"That night, dumbass. What happened?"

"She wrecked. I pulled her out. I went with her in the ambulance and called Bella to meet me at the hospital. When we got there, I told Tanya that it was her turn to be left alone...and I left her there...alone..."

"Good," Rose smirked, obviously surprised.

"What did you think happened?" Edward wondered out loud and threw his hands up in the air.

"What I was _told_. That's what."

"What were you 'told'. Wait, who told you? Alice and Jasper knew..."

"You're lovely ex-bitch has a new beau," she replied.

"Poor guy..." Edward muttered.

"He thinks _you're_ an asshole," Rose said matter-of-factly. "We ran into him at the bar last night. Apparently, Carmen's husband knew Emmett from somewhere and I didn't even realize what was going on until the jerk started running his mouth about you. Her husband asked Emmett how Kaley was and this new guy...Jason something...said something about you keeping Kaley from Tanya..."

"What utter bullshit..."

"I know. I told him that, too. I didn't mean to but I kind of ended up going off on him...until Em pulled me away. Apparently, though, I placed a good many questions in his head about his new girl."

"I don't understand why the fuck she would tell him that. I'm so sick and tired of all of her bullshit! Do you know that she came by Bella's room at the hospital after she was in that car accident? According to Bella- I wasn't there and Tanya's lucky I wasn't-Tanya told her something about how she left so she wouldn't hurt me and Kaley. I'm sure she just wants a pity party from her new boy toy..."

"They're engaged," Rose stated flatly.

Edward sat back in his seat, mouth open, and shaking his head. "Rose, there's really nothing for me to say about this. All I know is that it had to be very recently that it happened because she wasn't wearing a ring when she was in that accident. I want nothing to do with her..."

"I'm not telling you because I wanted to bring this back up. That's why I didn't say anything in front of Bella. I just wanted to let you know before you heard from someone else that 'Rose McCarty got into a verbal bar fight last night with Cullen's ex-wife's fiance'."

"You give verbal bitch slaps like no one else," Edward laughed, "it wouldn't have shocked me."

"Well, I don't care what your feelings towards her are. She's back in town and I still hate her. She better pray she lucks out like she did with you and I'm not there when she comes around town."

"Rose, just let it go. If she does try to start something over Kaley again, I give you full permission to take her down," chuckled Edward...then he smirked, trying to lighten the mood "until then, it's not worth the effort. I knew who she was when I divorced her."

"Yeah. Ugly. Inside and out."

"Are we okay? I didn't mean to piss you off, I just didn't want to upset you."

"Yeah, we're fine, Cullen. No promises though on behaving myself if I run into her."

"I wasn't really holding my breath on that one," Edward laughed.

Later that afternoon, after planning a trip to Seattle for the next weekend—and his parents were keeping the kids, they made their way home. They had all gotten up fairly early and with a day full of swimming, Bella wasn't the only one looking forward to resting. When Edward saw that they were all exhausted, he let the kids watch a movie until they fell asleep and helped Bella settle in for a nap. He promised to get her up in an hour or so and headed for the kitchen.

Digging through the cupboards and the refrigerator, he began putting dinner together. Tonight's menu would consist of organic chicken breast, beans, and a large salad. When it was just him and Kaley, he was concerned about what they ate, but also as a single father, he would let Kaley eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese as long as she'd eat. When Bella came into the picture, things changed. She always loved fruits and vegetables and would bring different things home for Kaley...and even Edward whose mother was practically a culinary queen...to try. Of course there were things that made him and Kaley cringe but other times there were things that Kaley couldn't get enough of.

Meat had never been Bella's forte but she did eat it when necessary. She wasn't a vegetarian, it just wasn't her favorite. Now that she was pregnant, though, they were trying to follow the guidelines to a tee. They limited her seafood, would only eat steak if it was made at home and guaranteed to be cooked the whole way through, abandoned lunch meats, and tried to do away with caffeine. As he snapped the fresh green beans—grown and picked by Bella and the kids—he began thinking about his wife going back to work.

She was doing better with the morning sickness, in fact it was just mild nausea this morning with none of her apple dumplings making a reappearance. He hoped and prayed that this was it. Alice seemed to go through a small bout of it but it quickly went away. While she ate more than Bella, she was way more active. While Alice was constantly hyper, he would catch Bella dozing at the dinner table or when she was in the passenger seat beside him.

She was out of the first trimester—which is when the doctor had told them that she would likely leave the morning sickness behind. Hopefully, they were right and it would be smooth sailing from here on out. He was more than willing to let her nap while he took care of the kids but once school started she'd be on her feet full-time.

When dinner was ready, he woke her back up. The kids would probably be asleep for at least another hour and he selfishly wanted some time with her. He had let her sleep an hour and fifteen minutes but figured it would be nice to share a meal with her, just the two of them. He love Sundays.

"So, are you excited about school?" he asked in the same tone Bella had asked Robby earlier.

She giggled and took a bite of her chicken. "I don't know...I want to go back...I'm ready but I don't know that I'm physically ready."

"Well, the due date is February 6th. If you don't go back now, you're going to miss the school year. I don't want to push you either way..."

"Edward, I can't just miss the whole school year. My job doesn't work that way...nor does any other job I've ever heard of. I have two weeks of sick days built up, not to mention personal and vacation days. Then, I'll have six months of maternity leave."

"What if after Christmas break you say you're done until after the baby comes?"

Bella seemed to be in thought over that. Finally she nodded her head. "I can make that work. The kids aren't even at school until the second week in January. I might have to go in that first week for a few seminars and things but I'd be willing to be done after Christmas break. I'll just go back mid-April."

"I hope this all goes well. I don't know that we can handle much more unconventionality."

"I know, right?" Bella smiled, then asked, "Are you sure Rosalie is okay with keeping the baby when I go back to work? I feel bad..."

"She offered. I don't want our month and a half old baby in daycare..."

"I don't either. I just want her to know that if things start to feel burdensome, we'll work something else out."

"So, your birthday is coming up. Is there anything special that you want to do or want as a gift?"

"Hmm...I think I really just want to spend some time with you an the kids. I don't really want to do anything big and fancy..."

**We will be starting to skip into time shortly but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm writing every free minute I get—which is a very small amount of time a day. Be patient. I'm still loving all of the reviews and just when I feel like I want to put this on hold for a little while, I get another review from all of you amazing people and I just keep on typing. They mean a lot :) LP xxoo**


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

"You better not have mentioned where we are going to the kids," Bella said to her husband as they made their way to Seattle the next weekend. She felt guilty for lying to them but they would have thrown a fit if they knew.

"I didn't say a word. I just told them that they had to stay with Grammy this weekend...that they would get to go with her, though."

Bella looked at him, slightly confused at how he put that, but went back to reading her ebook. It was a Friday afternoon, right after Edward had gotten off of work, and there was a lot of traffic. Getting comfortable, she figured it would take a little while longer than normal to get to her parents house. Renee and Charlie weren't home though, they were at some type of police convention so Bella and Edward had made plans to go on a double date with Jacob and Chelsea.

When she lost interest in her book, she decided to pull her binder from the backseat and set to work on making sure her checklist for the school year was well underway. While the kids were still in daycare, Bella had been spending her afternoons...and sometimes evenings...up at the school working to get things in order. Her room was already arranged from the year before but she had to make sure her lesson plans were in order and that she had all of the materials she needed. There were also two meetings with parents to discuss two students with special needs that would be in her class. School was starting Wednesday of the upcoming week.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked, sounding frustrated, about a half hour later.

"No, not really," Bella said, popping some sour candies into her mouth.

"Check your sugar."

She hated when he got on her case about her blood sugar. Since her scare, she lived her life around when it was time to test and when it was time to eat. The middles were just filled in with school, him and her children. "I just checked it before we left the house. It wasn't even low. I just like this candy..."

"Well, if this traffic doesn't let up, we're stopping and getting you something for dinner..."

"I'm fine," Bella said, trying to keep in mind that he was just worried about her.

They made it to Seattle by seven thirty, despite...or possibly _because of..._Edward's road rage. When they got there, Bella immediately sent Jake a text asking if they wanted to meet at his place or the restaurant. He told her they'd meet them at her parents being that he couldn't quite drive due to his cast—which both kids had signed and drawn on before leaving the last time.

"Bells!" She heard Jake call from downstairs as her and Edward sat making out on her childhood bed, having carried up their luggage moments earlier.

Her husband groaned and Bella just laughed as he said, "I wish I knew you then..."

Bella knew what he meant and just rolled her eyes, "First of all, my father wasn't always the chief of police but he was an officer for years—you wouldn't have dared to set foot in my bedroom when I was in high school. Second," she said before standing up and whispering to him, "I totally would have lost my virginity way earlier had I know you back then."

She watched him tug at his hair and groan again. As they headed towards the bedroom door to meet their guests, Edward pulled her back, "Do you have any idea how many nights I used to hate myself for lying in bed thinking about you when I was under the impression that you were even younger than what you were when we met?"

"It's okay, baby," Bella purred back before pushing away from him and heading downstairs, "I wanted the older man next door."

"Hey, Jake!" Bella smiled, half because she was happy to see him and feeling a little empowered because she knew her husband was probably ridiculously sexually frustrated at that point—and she was solely to blame.

Bella hugged Jake and he reached behind her to shake Edward's hand. Chelsea was standing by the doorway, acting shy about the whole situation until Bella pulled away from Jake's grip and went over to give her a hug. From phone calls over the past week, Bella knew Jake was really getting serious about this girl. Whispering to her, Bella told her the truth, "He _so_ loves you."

Chelsea smiled then and peeked around her to wave at Edward who nodded a hello and said, "Alright, I hate to break up our little hugfest but I've got a wife and baby that need to eat."

"Lead the way, Cullen," Jacob joked, directing Edward towards the door where the girls were heading out of.

The restaurant was nice, not too fancy but not a fast food place. It wasn't a chain, though and Jake explained that a friend of his knew a guy who's family owned it. While they ordered their food, Bella sipped her water and watched as Jake doted over his girlfriend. She smiled to herself, thinking about how grateful she was that he managed to find someone worthy of him. She didn't know Chelsea well but knew her well enough to know Jake was madly in love with her.

"So, Chelsea," Edward began, trying to make small talk, "how long have you been in nursing?"

"Oh, um...about five years. I went to a nursing school right out of high school and have been working ever since."

"Is it hard?" Bella asked. "I mean, I know it's hard to deal with some of the elderly folks. My friend is a nurse."

"Well, working at the VA I see a lot of younger guys and girls. There are some older folks that come to us but most don't. We mainly get them when you have situations like Jake."

"Counseling is probably a good thing to have, huh?" Bella said, not as a question, just more as a thought out loud.

"Oh, yeah. We get a lot of guys who are even worse off then Jake. One in particular, I'm actually working with him right now, grinds down his teeth because of how anxious he gets. He wears a mouth guard at night but we catch him doing it during the day. Then there's this one girl, she's a sweetheart but her flashbacks are out of control..."

"Can I ask you something?" Bella asked quietly, picking at the salad the waiter had just served.

"Sure."

"Our son, Robby..."

"He's an amazing little boy," Chelsea gushed at once, "Jake told me all about him after you guys went home last time."

"Well, do you think that...that maybe someday...he's going to miss his biological parents?"

Bella felt just as much as she saw Edward turn to look at her, slightly shocked. Chelsea sipped her wine before nodding and saying, "There's a possibility...but it won't matter, Bella."

"How can it not matter?" Edward asked and Bella immediately wished she hadn't brought it up.

"He is afraid of them...was afraid of them," she corrected herself. "Your son is young enough that he probably won't remember them very well except for the bad parts...and not even all of the bad parts...I just mean that, in my experience with people, when they lose family it's still hard. Even if that family was not good for them, even if that family meant to harm them, it's still a loss and a part of them that they can't get back.

Bella," Chelsea sighed then, taking her hand, "Robby will never be able to describe how much you two mean to him. You saved him. Every child...at least at some point in their lives...wonder about their biological parents. Who they are...where they are...what they're like. It doesn't mean that the child loves their adoptive parents any less. Also, I don't really work with children often but adults who have been adopted go through the same things. Just be patient with him."

Bella gave a small smile and they were interrupted by the waiter. She was eating chicken that evening, something she was getting kind of tired of but knew ordering steak at a restaurant was a bad idea—and something she didn't even like—but seafood was just as bad. Her husband of course had a nice slab of red meat on his plate. It was literally red meat with it pinker than not. Her stomach turned and she looked away. Seemingly rushed to change the subject, Edward asked, "So, are you officially done with the military?

Jake nodded. "I think so. I could do a civilian government job somewhere back here but they probably aren't going to let me tour again."

"Would you want to?" Bella asked, immediately feeling sick over the idea of him getting shipped back out.

"No," he sighed, looking over at Chelsea, "I have other things to live for now."

Bella looked down at her dinner, feeling like she was interrupting a private moment between them. She felt Edward's hand touch her leg under the table...obviously he was over the questions about Robby. "You two should come to Forks for the Fireman's Gala...it's in October this year and we always have a blast," Bella said after a little while.

"We'll definitely consider it," Chelsea replied with a smile, obviously excited to have a dress up opportunity.

"I can't believe Ally didn't come down this weekend..." Bella moped. "I thought it would be great to get the three of us back together...like old times...just with a few more significant others..."

Jake laughed, "I still remember when Embry pushed you at school and Ally told me about it and I got sent to the principals office for pushing him to the ground..."

"Or the time Leah kissed you on the cheek and Embry decided to put a rotten egg in your locker..." Bella said through laughter.

"It kind of backfired on him, Quil was his best friend...we shared a locker..." Jake became quiet then. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up..."

Bella just shrugged, "Someone has to. I feel like we all avoid it too much..."

"You aren't here on a regular basis, Bells. He's greatly missed. We aren't ever going to forget him."

As they finished their desserts, Edward rubbed Bella's back. "We don't want to wipe you out your first night here. What do you say we all head back?"

"Oh, don't let me break up the party, we can go out somewhere else," Bella said quickly.

Jake and Chelsea didn't say anything, Bella figured they didn't want to take sides. She felt Edward's breath on her neck as they stood to leave. "I'll make it worthwhile..." he whispered.

Blushing, she prayed their friends hadn't heard it and sighed, "Would you behave? Come on, I am kind of tired," she finished with a wink.

Later in bed, Bella was reading a book and Edward was resting his head against her tummy, humming softly to the baby. While this had become almost routine for them, Bella still couldn't get over how freaking adorable it was...she even had trouble concentrating on her story. After a little while, she felt him kiss her tummy and stand up. He went out to go to the bathroom and when he came back in, ready for bed, she got up and headed out to do the same. She found him sprawled out on her childhood bed and couldn't help but smirk.

Of all the nights that she and Alice had sat on the bed and talked about their dream guys, she never could have imagined someone as amazing as the guy she had ended up with. To think Edward was now lying on that same bed, leafing through her copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales made her feel butterflies in her stomach. He wore only a pair of boxers now and Bella bit her lip. This felt so wrong, she had to remind herself that they were married and she was allowed this particular boy in her room. He finally noticed she came in and he put the book down. "What are you doing?" he asked, amused.

"Admiring," she smiled before heading around the side of the bed and surprising him by slipping off her shorts so she just wore a pair of white panties—okay, so maybe she planned this...a little.

"Your parents are in the next room," he whispered, shock all over his face.

"So. We just have to be quiet..." she said, playing at being sexy by nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Not the lip..." he whispered frantically, sitting up, the book forgotten.

She didn't know why he was so worked up over this but had an inkling that it was something to do with the fact that what they were doing felt wrong. He knelt on the bed, taking her hands in his and pulling her towards him. Instead of letting him get her, Bella dropped to her knees and reached up to release him from the confines of his boxers. Licking her lips, she moved forward before catching the tip of his penis with her lips.

Immediately, she felt him jerk and sucked him in farther. "Bella..." he whispered, his hands going to her hair.

She took him in, letting him hit the back of her throat before she used her hand to begin stroking him along with her mouth. He was beginning to move with her, grunting as she would speed up or slow down. Finally, he pulled her up and gently shoved her onto the bed—it wasn't hard enough to hurt her but definitely hard enough to make her panties wet. Before she knew it, she was on her back, legs hanging over the edge and he dropped the now ripped panties to the floor. Settling between her legs, he was on the floor now, she felt him spread her even farther, exposing her to him completely before he dove in.

His tongue worked her into a frenzy as she felt him slide one finger, then two inside of her. Bella realized she was literally squirming around on the bed and tried to relax before she hurt herself...or him...or the baby. Digging her fingers into her pastel comforter, she felt him pull away and literally pouted. "You are so fucking sexy, Bells..." before she even knew what was happening, he was inside of her.

She breathed out deeply, fighting to stay quiet. Her legs were still over the side of the bed but bent at the knee as her feet rested on the edge of the bed frame. He was hunched over, bent at the knees, and had one hand on each of her thighs. She could feel herself begin to clench and twisted so she could dig her face into the comforter. She came as soon as he did.

"Bella, let's go! We're going to be late!" her husband called out the next afternoon from downstairs.

"Why are you in such a hurry? We're just going to look at a hall for Ally's shower..."

"I know" Edward said, " but your mom already called once wondering where we were at."

Standing in front of her floor-length mirror, Bella turned to the side and groaned. "What's wrong?" Edward asked and she bit her lip, not wanting to admit the problem.

"I look huge," she whispered.

"You're pregnant, baby. Pregnancy makes you gain wait. Besides, you heard what the doctor said the last time, you're putting on what is expected..."

"It's just that Alice left me this dress to wear and said that the place they are deciding to have the shower is fancy..." she couldn't believe she was actually crying over this. She heard Edward take a deep breath before telling her again how beautiful she looked. When she argued it again, he put their suitcase back on the bed and unzipped it. "What are you doing?"

"Here," he said, handing her a pair of baggy jeans and a yellow cotton top.

"Alice..."

"...doesn't have to be uncomfortable wearing that dress all day and you do. Come on, I don't care what Alice says. If you're not comfortable I'm not forcing you to wear it."

They made it to the hall right outside of Seattle. Bella noticed purple balloons and saw a tent that was sticking out a little from the front of the building. "They're having a party...are you sure we should be here?"

"I don't know. Come on, let's go check it out."

Following him, he opened the door and she saw her mom and Leah, as well as the Brandons, Embry, and her dad. She realized it was basically a convention center and looking at the simple outfits everyone else wore, she was glad for her wardrobe change. "Bella, dear!" Alice's mom came over, hugging her tight.

"It's been too long!" Bella laughed. "This is absolutely beautiful, by the way, Ally's going to love it!"

The room was already set up for what looked like a party with an abandoned set of dj equipment in a corner and some tables set up towards the back. The dance floor was wide open and she saw a few signs hanging up. It was perfect for a party. "I'm glad you like it."

"Why don't we go out back, though. Renee and I were thinking that an outside shower in October would be really, really pretty..."

"Oh, there's a party happening back there. I don't want to bother them..."

"It's fine, come on," Renee said, taking her arm and Edward gestured them towards the door, shrugging when Bella looked at him questioningly.

Turning around to ask Edward what time he told the kids they'd call, she heard her mother push the door open followed by a "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" from two little voices she'd recognize anywhere. That was followed up with a "Surprise" from everyone else, as well as a lot of laughter, before she could even turn back around. Slightly horrified at being the center of attention, yet amused by her husbands face, she made herself turn to look at the crowd she now knew was waiting for her.

The shock on her face must have been evident but the only person who didn't seem to care that she was about to hyperventilate was Alice, who flitted up to her and immediately asked, "What the heck happened to the pretty dress?"

Behind her, Bella heard Edward clear his throat and when she glanced back she had a strange suspicion he was shaking his head in a 'shut up and don't mention it or else' kind of way. "I wasn't comfortable..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Alice relented, with a wave of her hand. She felt Kaley hugging her and 'hugging the baby' as she did anytime Bella allowed her to. Looking for her second little voice, she found him clinging to Jake, who stood beside Chelsea and his dad. People were coming up to them now and she began to feel overwhelmed. It wasn't until Lily ran up to them that she realize the Forks crew was there—the whole damn department. Tyler, James, Clair...you name it, they were there. Her heart tugged when she thought of how happy Annie would have been to see her pregnant. Especially being that it was Edward's, who she called her 'adopted son'. Long ago, Edward had become Annie's favorite and Bella suspected Edward felt she was a second mother just as much as he was her son.

After hugging her mom and dad and telling them thanks, she turned to hug people from her family, Edward's family—even his Aunt Liz, Uncle Pete, and Bree were there. After getting through the family, she glanced around and saw everyone else mingling and couldn't get over the fact that it seemed everyone had shown up. She noticed Robby playing with Jake a little ways from everyone and stopped to watch them. "He's doing alright," Edward said, coming up behind her wrapping his arms around her.

"I don't know how you pulled all of this off..." she said, pulling away and guiding him over to where Jake was.

"Well, after you told everyone we were coming down here I originally wanted to throw you something small at your parents. Then, Alice and Jasper told Rose and Emmett and they wanted to come. Then my mom and dad heard, as did Leah and Embry..."

"...from me," Jake added by way of hello.

"It kind of all just spiraled..." Edward shrugged, picking up Robby.

"Well, I'm glad it did. I...this is amazing..."

While everyone was enjoying the sun, Renee, Esme, Rose, and Alice all disappeared, only to return later to invite everyone in to eat. Bella had finally gotten over to Embry who pulled her into a tight hug. "You need to come visit more. Thank God Jake found a new obsession...I probably would have had to slap him for being so mopey after he came home..."

Bella laughed and watched Jake flip his friend off. "Well, in a few months I'm not going to be able to get around so easily. Maybe I can try to come back down for a weekend next month, though."

"Are you going to find out the sex of the baby?" Leah asked.

"Yeah. I want to know. Edward said it didn't matter, he just wanted to be there when if I decided to find out."

"Is he excited? I mean, with both kids..."

Bella hadn't realized that Leah and a lot of other people probably didn't even realize that they had tried so hard for this little one. Jake glanced at Bella as if waiting to see what her reaction was. "He's really excited," Bella answered honestly. "We've been trying for awhile and Edward's amazing with the kids."

The rest of the party was amazing. They ate chicken, vegetables, salads, and of course there was plenty of birthday cake. Edward had been on edge, making sure Bella ate everything on the plate he got her and her whole piece of cake. Of course, she let Kaley blow out her candles and Robby got to lick the icing off of them after they were pulled out—it broke her heart that she had to explain not to eat the waxy pieces to him. He was five years old and from his reactions on Edward's birthday, had never truly celebrated his own.

In the evening, the tables were cleared and there was a DJ, who Bella recognized as Garrett from the night that she found out her parents were getting a divorce. Obviously, singing with the band wasn't paying the bills for him. Robby did fine until the music started and then Bella watched as he started to shake. Carlisle already had Lily by the hand and was headed towards them. "Let me take him back to the hotel we're all staying at."

Bella thought it over and agreed, she couldn't very well leave her own party but she wasn't going to put unnecessary stress on her son either. "Alright. When do you leave tomorrow? Do you need us to pick him up?"

"No. Enjoy your weekend with Edward alone, Bella. When the new baby comes you'll be grateful you spent time alone with him."

"Thanks, Carlisle. For everything. Edward said you brought the kids down and it really means a lot. I know Robby can be a handful sometimes..."

"We love him and consider him our grandson. It was no trouble. Happy Birthday, Bella."

"Thanks, I'll walk you out."

After fastening him into his carseat, Bella told Carlisle that she'd send Kaley with Esme. Kaley was dancing with daddy and seemed to having the time of her life. She knew that her daughter deserved time with him just as much as she did before the baby came. Kissing Robby and then crawling across to kiss Lily, Bella told them goodnight and watched them leave.

When she went back in, she found Jake sipping a soda and watching from the side as everyone danced. "Where's Chelsea?"

"She has a shift tonight. It's like an every other weekend night thing. I don't know..."

"Bummer," Bella said with a frown.

"Yeah..."

"Come on! Let's go dance! It'll be fun!"

Ten minutes later, she felt exhausted...and knew Jake had to feel the same way being that he was more hopping around than dancing. Just as she was about to ask him if he wanted to take a breather, Edward came over with Kaley. "Bells, I don't want you to wear yourself out..."

The way he said, with a tinge of jealousy, irked her. Had it not been that Jake was right there and she didn't want to upset him, she would have said something to him about it. Instead she nodded and said, "I was just about to go sit down..."

"Well, is your sugar okay? Have you checked it?"

"Edward, I ate about two hours ago..."

"Three hours in, you usually need..."

"I need..." Bella stopped herself before she became angry. Turning to Jake she asked him if he could keep an eye on Kaley and pulled Edward out into the hallway. "I need you to back off."

Edward looked taken aback by this and just stared at her, his eyes running over her face. After a while he just shook his head. "Fine. I'll back off." Bella watched in shock as he turned and actually walked away from her. It took her a few minutes to realize that he really wasn't going to stop and by then he had disappeared back into the party.

Shaking her head, she headed outside to grab the tester from their vehicle. It was unlocked, which she couldn't decide if she was happy about—coming from a small town Edward like to forget that there were thieves out there. She was happy that she didn't have to ask him for the key. Pricking her finger for what felt like the millionth time, she waited to see the results. It was actually a little higher than normal and she figured it was just all of the cake and sweets. Turning to go back in, she saw Edward carrying Kaley to Alice and Jasper's car.

"Are you guys leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm exhausted," yawned Alice. "We'll take little missy back to Carlisle and Esme's hotel before going to my parents."

"Thanks. For everything. Really, this was great. I'm having a blast..."

"I'm glad you liked it. Call me tomorrow if you want to hang out or something. We're not leaving until later in the evening."

As they pulled out, Bella turned to Edward to apologize but realized he was already a good many feet away from her. She let him go,starting to become irritated, and then decided to go enjoy her party. She danced with Leah and her mom for awhile, noticing Edward was sitting with Rosalie...and there were three empty beer bottles in front of him. Bella's mom said exactly what Bella was thinking, "You need to go talk to your husband, honey..."

Approaching him, Bella wondered what to say. Finally she came up with, "Let's go for walk."

They headed outside and he pulled her into him, breathing deeply. "What's going on? Talk to me..."

"Nothing. I just..." his voice trailed off and she shook her head.

"Nothing? Really? Is that what you said to Rose for over an hour while you drank three beers? Really?"

"Really. Come on, let's go in and celebrate...we'll dance. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

She knew there was more to it but let it slide, especially because he kissed her—hard—at that same moment. "Edward..." she began when he pulled away. There was a look to him, something she didn't know how to describe and prayed it was just the alcohol's effects. She let her voice trail off, before saying, "let's just go back inside."

As the party wound down, people hugged and told her good luck with the baby and that they loved getting to see Robby—many of them saw him for the first time that day. There were a few presents, some more maternity clothes from her mom, Alice got her a gift card for a local Forks dress shop, and Rosalie a purple leather tote bag big enough for carrying papers that needed graded and other school stuff. Of course there were plenty of cards as well and Bella felt funny accepting presents from people, many of them were empty on the inside—which she was glad about—but most of them were hilarious and she and Rosalie giggled about them all night.

**So, writing is becoming a slower process but I'm working hard. I feel very blessed to have gotten so many reviews—and they're still coming! Whoever is spreading the word, thank you very very much! Also, thank you for the wedding wishes, I wish I could invite you all :) The next chapter will deal with the first day back to school and then we're skipping ahead a little. Don't worry, though, we will not miss the birth. I promise. Until the next update, letzigprincess xx**


	58. Chapter 58

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 58**

**September**

"I can't believe we are on our way to the doctor to find out what the sex of our baby is going to be. I know you think it's going to be another girl but I have a hunch it's a boy..." Bella rambled on excitedly as Edward drove them across town to the OBGYN.

"It truly doesn't matter to me. I'm just thinking that if it's a girl, we'll have less things to buy..."

"What's wrong? Don't want your little son wearing pink?" she challenged.

Edward just looked over at her and rolled his eyes. He loved when she was like this, though. When she acted like the young, happy woman he fell in love with. This pregnancy was hard on both of them and he couldn't imagine what his wife was going through. There were days when she would be sick all day, days when she would be sitting in the kitchen crying when he walked in the door from work, and the hardest part of all was knowing how upset she was that her summer was spent being sick. Alice tried to be there for moral support but he knew that seeing Alice's condition made Bella feel even worse on occasion.

Alice was what some would describe as 'the perfect happy pregnant person'. She had a perfect rounded belly with not an ounce of fat anywhere that he could see. She was always 'glowing' as his mother had put it. She was even more energetic than she was before she got pregnant—which was ridiculous. Sure she would get tired sometimes but he suspected she rested more for the baby than for herself. Bella and Alice were absolutely like night and day but he was thankful for it...if they were both sick and miserable he was pretty sure his support system—Jasper-wouldn't be much of a support system.

It was now mid-September and life wasn't easy. Bella was considered taking early leave from school, resigning until the baby was born. She had third grade again this year and Edward knew it was wearing her down even more. Today, it was a little chilly and as she pulled her sweater up higher on her neck, he immediately reached over and turned on the heat in the Jeep.

"I don't care what he wears as long as he's healthy," Edward smiled.

"He? So you agree that the baby's a boy?" Bella smirked.

"It doesn't matter, honey. As long as it's healthy."

"The _baby_. Don't call it 'it'. The _baby _isn't an 'it', he or she is a person," Bella scolded him.

"Sorry, teacher. You can punish me later," Edward laughed.

"How's the sugar?" he asked, glancing at the clock built into the Jeep's dash.

"It was a little lower before lunch but I ate plenty and I brought hard candy for later."

"So you don't need to test for a couple hours now, right?" Edward knew she had the routine down but couldn't help but ask her constantly about it. If he would ever not say something and there would be an off chance that she would forget, he never wanted to live with that guilt.

"Right. Relax. The sun is shining, I'm not nauseous, I have you all to myself for the day, and we're going to see if we can buy for blue or pink...or at least do the registry..."

"I know, I know, you love the idea of the registry," laughed Edward, "but you hate the idea of the shower..."

"I just don't like being the center of attention. The party was awesome but it's just not exactly my favorite thing in the world...Unfortunately, my mom and Ally's mom want to do it different weekends so we each get our own baby shower."

"Well, either way, I'm sure you'll have more fun than you realize you will. Speaking of fun, I need to stop and pick up a few things for the basement. If I don't start working on it, Kaley is going to drive me nuts."

"You're the one who told her she could paint her walls. If it's messy, you better bet she wants something to do with it."

"Then you have Robby who folds his dirty clothes," Edward said dryly, but amused.

"True story. Anyway, I figure we can go get what you need and then head over to pick out at least the little things like bottles, pacifiers...I'm surprised you kept Kaley's old crib set but we'll need a back up so we can get one that isn't pink if the baby's a boy..."

Edward let her go on and on, nodding his head in agreement, all the while wondering how he was going to get everything done before the baby came. He had taken Kaley on one of their many daddy/daughter nights for the specific reason of discussing her getting a new bedroom in the basement. He smiled as he thought about it.

"_Honey, daddy wants to talk to you about your bedroom. Do you remember how when you were a baby you had a crib?" she nodded her head and sipped her milkshake. "Do you remember how you got a big girl bed?"_

"_I got a _princess_ big girl bed," she corrected._

"_Well, what if you got a bigger room?"_

"_Like the living room?" she asked, her eyes wide at the prospect._

"_Not quite that big, Kal. What if daddy put in a room downstairs by where your little washer and dryer are?"_

"_You are going to make a new room?" she asked, looking at him like he was nuts._

"_Do you want a new room?" he asked, hoping that he could convince her this is something that was partially her idea._

"_Yeah!" she said excitedly._

"_Well, then, daddy will make you a new room..."_

"_Can I have stars in my room?"_

"_We'll get the special glow in the dark ones that stick to the ceiling. How about that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow._

_She nodded enthusiastically. "So I get a brand new room?"_

"_Yup."_

"_Can I make it the color I want?"_

"_Sure. You can even paint it...daddy will help you with it, though," he added quickly after almost being able to see the wheels turning in her little head. Bella would kill him if he gave her a bucket of paint and a brush and told her to have at it._

"_Is the baby going to go in my old room?" She said 'old' like she was too sophisticated for it._

"_Yeah, honey," Edward said cautiously. Up until that point, Kaley hadn't said anything to lead on that she was jealous but he was worried it would start._

"_Well, the baby can have the baby room. I get a big girl's room!"_

"_So do you want a little brother or a little sister?" he asked, deciding to change the subject before she changed her mind. She shrugged again but this time got quiet. "Remember when you used to beg me and mommy for a new baby? Are you still excited?"_

_She looked down and picked at the nail polish Bella had helped her with, "The baby makes mommy sick."_

_Edward frowned, "Kal's, the baby doesn't know that. The baby is too little to know if it's doing something wrong. Mommy's going to be okay."_

"_If it's a girl are you going to read her stories and play tea party with her?" she asked quietly._

_Here it is, Edward thought, his daughter was realizing that her daddy wouldn't just be her daddy anymore. He knew she was okay with Robby, but he suspected that was because Robby was a boy. He thought for a minute, not wanting to say something that would upset her. "I'd like to but you'll have to show her how and when she gets a little older maybe you can read her some stories. Even if it's a little boy you can still read him stories. I bet he'd love for his big sister to teach him how to read."_

"_I'm going to be a big sister," she stated, giddily, slurping up the rest of her shake._

"What are you all smiles for, Cullen?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What reason is there not to be all smiles?" he asked laughing again.

They were going to have the first ultrasound done today and find out the sex of the baby. Life had been crazy for them but he was more than excited about this appointment. While Bella had to cope with a hard pregnancy and the start of a new school year, he was working close to nine hours a day so that he could be sure to get all of his clients in. His caseload was ridiculous as they had one of the guys quit but he kept reassuring her that this is actually working out well because he was building up comp time. The more he worked now, the more days he could take when the new baby came.

"Ah, Bella! How are we today?" the doctor asked, probably glad to be seeing her when they weren't discussing a problem.

"Actually, I feel really good."

"Any problems you need to talk about?"

"Nope. I just have some sore fingers and my back is hurting but nothing serious."

"Well, let's take a look. First ultrasound. Are we finding out the sex of the baby or are we keeping it a secret?"

"Finding out," smiled Bella.

"Alright, just pull up your shirt and lie back. It looks like the baby is growing rather well from what you are measuring," she said after a few minutes.

Bella looked over and saw Edward smiling again, it was infectious. She did feel bad for the fact that he was put through the wringer as well with this pregnancy, something he got irritated with her for saying to him. The last few months were definitely not easy and Bella couldn't believe how in just the first two months she had gone from not even knowing she was pregnant to being unable to leave the bathroom all day. Thankfully, things were letting up. While the nausea was still there, she was no longer actually vomiting.

Edward was standing beside her, obviously too anxious to sit and he had his hand wrapped around hers. There were little noises and then they heard the baby's heartbeat. While they hadn't seen their baby yet, this was a sound that had become very familiar to them, Carlisle had given them a little monitor specifically for that purpose. Edward had heard it before she even had when she was unconscious in the ambulance but now they would listen to the baby's heart almost every night. Watching her husband bond with their unborn baby was quite endearing as he would lie beside her with his head down by her stomach and the monitor in his hand. She was getting kind of nervous because she hadn't felt the baby kick yet but she knew the baby was still alive, if not alive _and_ kicking.

As if the doctor knew what she was thinking, she asked, "Is the baby active?"

"Not yet. It makes me nervous sometimes. Is it really strange to not feel the baby kicking at four months?" They had estimated from the fact that she missed her period in May and June before realizing she was even pregnant that she probably conceived the second week of May...being that they had taken the test the first week.

"Not at all," the doctor said, looking at the screen. "It's actually quite normal. In fact, I've done ultrasounds where the baby was having a mini dance party in there and the mother just simply couldn't feel it."

That's when Bella turned to Edward to see what he thought about it but watched as a huge smile grew on his face and she could have sworn he was going to cry. He looked so happy, so young and excited, and he reminded her of when they had first started to date. Pulling her eyes away from Edward, she looked to the monitor and understood his excitement. Their little baby was clear on the monitor, he or she even had their little hand up to their mouth and Bella wondered if he or she was sucking on their thumb. The heartbeat was fast, like normal, and the doctor moved the little ball around to look from a different angle.

"Do we have any names picked out?" she asked making small talk.

Bella looked up at Edward, they did pick but hadn't planned to disclose them to anyone. Being that this was just the doctor, they smiled at each other and he nodded to her. "Well, if it's a girl, we're going to name her Annalyn Marie Cullen—Annie for short after someone who we lost to cancer a few years ago- and if it's a boy, we'll name him Masen Anthony Cullen after Edward's mother's family name."

"Annalyn is a beautiful name..." she said absently then laughed, still moving the ball around. "No matter what gender, this little one likes to give us trouble," the doctor laughed.

"Trouble how?" Edward asked, worrying now.

"The baby is just at a the perfect position for me to have trouble seeing the sex...Ah, got it," the doctor smiled, almost as if she was just as excited to find out.

"Well?" Bella asked, straining her eyes to try to make out what was on the screen.

"Masen Anthony is going to have a wonderful life. Congratulations!"

Bella felt Edward hug her awkwardly from her reclined position on the vinyl exam table. "That's my son," he said breathlessly into her ear and she began to cry. That didn't really surprise her, though, she cried all the time.

As soon as they were out in the Jeep, Bella sent a mass text to their family and friends informing everyone they were having a little boy. Then, because she knew it would be going off nonstop for the next hour, she turned it off completely. If something was wrong with the kids, Esme knew to call Edward's cell. "Told you so," smirked Bella.

"Well, I think it's perfect. I just hope Robby is okay with this..."

"He asked for a boy when we first told him I was pregnant," Bella reminded him.

"Yeah but it just makes me nervous. I mean, what he went through and what he thought he'd have to do to the new baby...it makes me sick. I don't even know how to broach the subject so I'm glad Carolyn helped us out with that but it scares me."

"He just needs some guidance on how normal families work and I think he does realize now that he was in a very, very bad situation and it wasn't his fault. I think he's always known he was different but I don't think he realized how different..."

"I wish I could have gotten to him sooner," Edward said quietly.

"Well, now that we have him, we're not letting him go. That's what Gary said, right? That it shouldn't be a problem getting him permanently?"

"In theory."

"So," Bella asked, changing the subject to something lighter, "how does it feel to know you're going to have a little son?"

"There are no words, Bells."

"Are you concerned about Kaley?"

"Not really, I mean time will tell on whether or not she's going to be jealous..."

"Oh, I think she will be," Bella laughed, "you know how she is with Lily. She loves her but she just gets this look on her face when you pick up your little niece. Do you miss the days when it was just you and Kaley?" Bella asked quietly.

"If I want to be selfish then sometimes I do miss it," he answered honestly, "but you being here makes everything better. Everything. I wouldn't undo anything when it comes to you. It has been better for both of us since that day we met you when you moved into Esther's. I do wish I had more time to spend with her, though."

"I don't know how you did it on your own, though. I mean, I'm terrified of caring for a little baby and yet you were doing it by yourself. It's crazy."

"I loved her. I would and still would give my life for her. From the moment they handed her to me, it didn't matter how scared I was. I had to suck it up and be her father...there was no one else to do it for me. I chose to keep her and it was the best decision I have ever made. I never regretted it."

"I love how you are with her. You have no idea how many men would have turned her away."

"She's mine. Always will be."

"How did you deal with a crying baby at all hours of the night? You were working, too, weren't you?"

"Yeah. I don't know how to describe it, you'll see when he comes along, you just kinda do it..."

When he pulled into a spot at the hardware store, He helped her down, always worried about her stepping down from the Jeep as it sat up rather high. As they headed in, she looked up at him from her spot beside him and felt elated. She was going to have his son.

They trudged through aisle after aisle at the department store until they finally had enough things zapped with the little registry gun that they were both happy. They already had the bigger things: a crib, a swing, a glider, and a changing table. On the registry were things that he either didn't have to begin with, were specifically boy oriented, or the essentials like bottles, diapers, bottle racks, a few toys, a few outfits, bottle liners, baby shampoo, a baby bath, and plenty of other things.

The crib set they decided to go with was jungle themed and had a little 'treetop' mobile to hang. Edward smiled as he watched her excitedly go from one aisle to the next, stopping to pick things up and read the backs of them. The one that made him laugh was the breast pump, only his Bella would blush when she looked up from the box and caught him watching her. They were married and expecting a baby, it amazed him that she was still shy about that kind of stuff.

He was thankful that her body was letting her enjoy the day but he knew she was going to be sore tomorrow. If he could have taken away the pain and sickness she seemed to feel constantly, he would do it in a heart beat, even if he was the one who went through it. Before they left there was one final thing he wanted to get that he himself was going to pay for. Walking back to the crib section, he found the boy's version of the blanket he had bought Kaley. It was the first thing he bought her, he had gotten it for her the day she was born. He hadn't planned to leave the house that day, and had really wanted to stay home with her, but his mom had watched her while he went to the store—he had forgotten baby wipes.

When he saw the blanket, he thought it was cute and picked it up. The blanket was pink and purple with little tags that stuck around the outside of it. They were different colors and textures and Kaley would lay on his chest for hours, just pinching the little tags between her little fingers and rubbing them. It was the only thing she still slept with and he could remember nights of driving to Rosalie's to get it at two am when he realized Kaley had left it at her place and was fighting him on going to sleep because she didn't have it.

Grabbing the blue and green version of it, Edward smiled to himself and Bella immediately recognized it's significance. He had never told her about the story behind Kaley's but she knew what type of blanket it was and smiled back at him. "It's perfect," she said, rubbing her belly.

They checked out and headed home to an empty house, his mom had taken the kids to his Aunt Liz's, giving him and Bella the day to themselves. There had been a bit of tension between them lately because of something he had yet to tell her. It couldn't be put off any longer...he'd known about it since Rosalie told him at Bella's party. For whatever reason, even before the bomb was dropped on him, it had been a difficult night for him. He was forever amazed by how quickly the time had flown with Kaley and was concerned about Robby...it all just hit him at once and he refused to ruin Bella's birthday because of his emotional problems.

Once they were home, Bella sat down on the couch and looked like she didn't want to move until it was into a retirement home. "Edward? Can you bring me the monitor?"

He came back from putting the new baby blanket on their bed, along with the ultrasound pictures, and handed it to her. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

Bella just shrugged. "I'm really, really tired...I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine. I just wanted to make sure you didn't want to do anything since we didn't have the kids."

"I want to just stay home with you. We can make homemade popcorn!" she said excitedly, getting back a little energy.

"Alright, alone time and popcorn it is. Dinner first. Do you want to order in instead of me cooking? I'm a little tired myself."

While they waited for the food to arrive, Edward turned the TV on and held Bella to his chest. She was drifting in and out of sleep when he glanced at the phone on the coffee table and guilt flooded him again. He didn't really know what any of it meant but he did know that she was going to be unhappy. As much as he could tell her that it didn't matter to him, that it was done, Bella would stress about it.

The food arrived and as they ate, Edward decided to bite the bullet. "Bella, love, I need to talk to you about something."

She stopped mid-chew and looked at him, obviously scared of what he had to say. She wasn't stupid, she knew he had been keeping something from her for almost a month now. "Okay..."

"The night of your party...in Seattle...I got a really interesting phone call. Apparently, Linda and Eli wanted to get together sometime to see Kaley...since I really haven't spoken to them in awhile. Well, when they called, they also had news and I suspect that's what they wanted to get together for...to tell me in person..."

"What is it?" Bella asked, becoming frustrated.

"Tanya's moving back to Forks. Permanently. They're actually moving to Alice and Jasper's neighborhood..."

"Oh, God...she wants Kaley..." Bella blurted out in an immediate reaction.

"No," Edward said as firmly as possible.

"She's my child..."

"Yes, she is. As far as the state of Washington is concerned, you became her mother the day you married me. No one, and sure as hell not Tanya, is going to take that from you...from _us_. Bella, I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked Rosalie. Stay away from her. If you see her, just walk away and don't let her get to you. I guess Emmett is a friend of Carmen's husband and they ran into Tanya's new boyfriend at the bar that night I went for like an hour or so. The new guy tried to say that I kept her from Kaley and Rose let him have it."

"How long have you known that part? Why didn't you say anything? Your ex is going to be living next to my best friend and..."

"I knew it was going to upset you. Bella, put yourself in my position. Please. You're going through a tough pregnancy right now and the last thing I wanted to do was make you worry. That's not why I'm telling you this now. I just want you to know before you hear it from someone else..."

"I don't know why I would have to hear it from someone else..."

"Because it doesn't matter to me!" This time he yelled a little more than he should have. "She means nothing to me!"

"_You_ still mean something to_ her_!" Bella shot back and they both became quiet for awhile.

"_You _are my _wife_. I need you to worry about yourself and our baby right now. I don't need you panicking about this. That's why I waited to tell you...because I'm scared okay?"

Bella watched him with those big brown eyes and he bit his lip, vowing not to cry. "Of what, honey?"

"What if I'm horrible at being a parent to Kaley after the baby comes? I know we have Robby now and he does take a lot of my attention but because Kaley is the 'easy' kid what if I really do unknowingly push her aside? Then there's you...and I feel like I already don't spend enough time with you..."

"Hold on. First and foremost," Bella said, standing up and going around to sit on his lap, "you would never do that to your daughter. You wouldn't let that happen and neither would she or I. Second, don't worry about me. I'm happy. Of course I miss you sometimes but you're working to take care of us and the community. I love the department as much as you do and I know you love your job. You just make sure to make time for your kids and I'll be right there by your side. What did you mean by you said you were concerned about Robby?"

"I'm starting to worry that I didn't look hard enough for other relatives of his..."

"Why would you do that?" she asked, appalled.

"You asked Chelsea yourself at dinner Friday if he was going to miss his biological parents..."

"I don't want him to leave us for another family, though!"

"I don't either! I just know what it's like to not know your real birth parent...and it's not that I'd change anything with Carlisle but sometimes I wonder about him."

"You're going in circles here. You want Robby to know family who could potentially be just as fucked up as his parents but you are swearing up and down that Tanya isn't going to end up getting Kaley..."

"It's two completely different situations. Tanya _is_ fucked up. She already hurt Kaley. Forget it, okay? I'm not going to look into it or else I already would have. I'm selfish on that aspect too. He's mine now and nothing is going to change that. It was just something I've been thinking about lately and I was just not having a great day emotionally. I'm trying to make the right decision for you and the baby...as well as Kaley and Robby."

"I know," Bella said quietly. "Did you talk to Dr. Kramer about all of this?"

"Most of it."

"It upsets me that you talk to everyone but me about your problems. I don't care if you don't want to burden me...I'm your wife—just like you said."

"I'm still upset about your relationship with Jake," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

There was a long silence then. A ridiculously long silence. Finally, Bella said, "You have nothing to be jealous about. I married _you_. This little boy I'm carrying is _your_ son. I live with _you_. I love _you_."

"You love him, too. I just...no matter what he does...you are always happy when you're around him. It bothers me, okay? It's frustrating."

"Edward, did you ever think that I don't have as much frustration towards him because I'm not as passionate about him? I live with you, I go through everything with you, of course we're going to have our ups and downs. That's like me saying you are happier around...Clair. Of course you aren't going to have hard feelings towards her because you really couldn't care less about her actions. You don't see her often enough for it to matter. Before last month, I saw Jake back in July. Before that it was a really long time..."

"He was in Iraq."

"How often did I see him when we were dating? Huh? How often?"

"Not very," Edward admitted.

"Exactly. Now let me ask you a question. Have Jake and I ever kept a secret from you?"

"No..."

"You and Rosalie can sit there and gossip like little old church ladies...and not clue me in on any of it even when it effects me...but Jake and I can't talk on the phone once a week? That's a serious double standard. If I wanted to be with Jake more than I wanted to be with you than I would _be_ with Jake. Instead, I'm sitting here with you. Eating dinner with you. Pregnant with your son. Now tell me, Edward, who the fuck do you think I love more?"

"You're jealous of Rosalie." He meant it to come out as a questions but turned out to be a statement.

"Of course I am. Edward, jealousy is something that everyone deals with! For God's sake, Alice is currently jealous of that girl Jasper works with...I can't even remember her name. Tanya fucked you over. She let you impregnate her while she slept with all of Forks. I get it. Don't act like you're the only one entitled to the feeling of jealousy. Imagine if I found out an ex of mine was moving in next door to your best friend and I told Jake but not you?"

"Jake would be that ex, Bells..."

"Ugh, whatever. I can't believe we are having this conversation. Again..."

"I don't want to lose you to someone else," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes. Her heart broke when she realized that this wasn't about him not trusting her...he honestly thought she'd find someone better. Taking a deep breath, she took a few moments to regain her composure and thought about what she wanted to say.

"Edward, I probably won't even see Jake for a few months. I'll talk to him on the phone in between getting your two kids ready for bed. When the new baby comes, I'll talk to him while getting two kids ready for bed and changing a _third_ kid's diaper. Before that, I'll be sitting here, physically beside you, and experiencing this pregnancy with _you_. You don't need to compete with him, Edward. You didn't have to before and you don't have to now. I have to deal with Rosalie every damn day."

"Why didn't you tell me how much she was bothering you?"

"Because I didn't want to upset you and because I understand that you would never cheat on me with her. You wouldn't physically cheat, anyway. Emotionally, though, that's harder to judge...I think. Just be a little more considerate when it comes to dealing with her and with me. Alright?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry. Honest to God, I'm just really worried about you and the baby. You don't need more stress and that's the only reason I kept this from you as long as I did."

She was sitting in his lap again, and his hand was on her stomach—a place she realized he automatically went for lately. She wondered absently if after the baby was born he'd still do it. Suddenly, she began to yawn and when she pushed her stomach out, she never did achieve getting the air back out. Edward was sitting in the chair, his hand frozen to her stomach, his eyes wide. "Did you feel that?" she asked quietly, praying to God it wasn't just her imagination. She had been looking forward to this since before they were even pregnant.

It took him a moment to form words and just as he was about to say something, it happened again. A slight kick, more like feeling flutters in her stomach but they were strong enough that she could tell he felt it on his palm. He closed his mouth before opening it and letting out an incredulous laugh, "He's kicking!"

**Since I can't update daily, I figure I would try to appease everyone a little with longer chapters. I hope you are enjoying it! October might go on for two chapters, I'm not sure yet. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing! Like I said, you're the only reason I've kept this going so long...I'm doing this for all of you ;) Lots of Love, LP xx**


	59. Chapter 59

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~I hope you don't get confused, we skip forward as this chapter goes on :) **

**Chapter 59**

**October Part 1**

"Ugh..." Bella groaned loudly, "I think Edward needs to find a different date to this thing..."

"I'm with ya," Alice huffed, plopping down on the plush white couch of a local dress shop. "Well, anyone but that girl...what's her name?"

"I don't know but when you say 'that girl', I'm pretty sure I know exactly which one you are talking about. So, you're still upset about Jazz working with her, huh?"

"Yeah. Stupid tiny girl..."

"Ally, you're tinier than I am and six months pregnant."

"You're five months, really not that much of difference..."

"I have the strong urge to ask Jasper if he minds that I miss the gala. Bella, really, I'm used to being energetic and excited about things like this but I really just want to not worry about it. I feel huge."

"Alright, no. We are going to this shindig if we have to wear bed sheets wrapped around ourselves. No more moping. Up." Alice looked at Bella with shock clearly on her face. This was role reversal at it's finest. Instead of arguing, Alice nodded her head in an 'okay' fashion and followed her friend back over to the racks of dresses. They chose a whole new arsenal, threw them over their arms and headed into the changing rooms. Bella was going to find a dress if it killed her.

She tried on a strapless dress and realize that was a really, really bad idea. Since becoming pregnant, her boobs had swelled a half bra size in just the first trimester. Now, she was up to two sizes bigger and her c-cups did not want to be tamed in a dress made with thin material. Edward was one of the more well-known guys of the department, as he dealt a lot with reporters...just simply because someone needed the story the right way and no one else wanted to be on camera. Ever since he'd carried the little boy out when he and Bella first met, his name was common in Forks. There was no way she was going to have a wardrobe malfunction while being on his arm that night.

"Bella?"

"In here!"

"I'm going back out to get another one!"

"Wait. I have one for you to look at," Bella smiled to herself in the mirror, honestly liking the way she looked in it. It was a knee length deep purple dress that flowed in just the right places. The top looked like a jacket with short sleeves but it was actually attached and there was lace that came up and covered her chest, covering just enough to make her feel that she wasn't showing the world her goods. It laced up in the back instead of having a plain zipper and there was a little tie that wrapped around the dress, falling just below her breasts. It was perfect for the fall party.

When she pushed the door open, she heard Alice gasp. "I love, love, love it! It's perfect!"

"It's a good price, too. It's on sale."

The drive home was pretty quiet, both girls exhausted. Alice had found a dress at a different store and Bella realized they had been gone for almost four hours. It wasn't until she pulled into the Whitlock's driveway that she put her hand to her mouth and exclaimed, "Holy shit, it's her!"

At first, Alice looked at her with a look that screamed, 'You seriously belong in a mental institution' before she herself turned and saw the moving truck. "Damn. I was hoping we wouldn't be able to see them from here. They live like literally two freaking houses away!"

As the the two of them sat in the Volvo, starting at the house as movers unloaded box after box and lamp after lamp, a loud tap on the window opposite of where they were looking made both girls jump and then burst into laughter. "Jazz, you're such an asshole!" Bella bit out as Alice got out of the vehicle and grabbed her dress from the back.

"Well, it's not polite to stare," he chuckled.

"So, two houses away, huh?"

"Yup. Lucky us," he said dryly.

"Can't we get a restraining order or something?" Alice asked, coming around to kiss Jasper on the cheek.

"I already brought it up...Edward says we don't really have any grounds to say that we need a restraining order..."

"Poo..."

"Well, it is what it is," Bella sighed. "I'll see you guys later."

Three days later, Bella had called Edward to ask if he could pick up Kaley and Robby from school. There was a big unit test she needed to correct and while the grading wasn't very detailed, it was very time consuming. She was exhausted, having had to keep the kids all day without a prep period because the Art teacher was out and there wasn't a substitute called in. She left school about six o'clock that evening and made her way home—after checking her sugar and eating an apple around five. She still wasn't done with the papers but took the rest home to work on since Edward had called her twice, worried that she was eating dinner so late.

Upon returning home, she heard commotion coming from the basement and saw Robby smiling at her from the top of the stairs. "What's going on?" she asked cheerfully, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Daddy and sissy are painting."

"You know, I bet daddy would let you help if you would go down with them."

He shook his head adamantly and actually scooted closer to the stairs that lead up to the living room. Bella sighed and sat down on the step beside him. "Buddy, has anything bad happened to you since you came to live with us?"

Robby was deep in thought over this before saying, "Daddy has to leave at night."

She looked at him, surprised that he had said that, expecting something a little more upsetting if he could come up with anything at all. "Is that something bad that happens to you?" she asked quietly, curious about his answer.

"I don't like when daddy leaves me."

"You know, Robby, sometimes daddies have to leave. I don't like when daddy leaves either but do you want to know something? He always comes back."

Robby smiled at this and Bella heard Kaley babbling on about something downstairs. "Are you sure you don't want to go down and help? I bet you'll have fun."

He looked back and forth between her and the stairs before shrugging the way he'd learned from Kaley. "Well," Bella said, trying to get him to go with her, "I'm going to go have fun with daddy and Kaley. I bet they'd really like for you to come downstairs."

She left then, leaving him to watch her as she made her way to the new room. The sight was definitely comical as Kaley and Edward, both splattered with orange paint turned to look at her. Kaley was wearing goggles caked with it and Bella couldn't understand how she could possibly see through them. "You're home!" Edward said, obviously relieved by that. "There's food upstairs. I got a plate of food in the microwave with your name on it."

Kaley went to hug her and for the first time in she couldn't remember how long, she dodged the little girl. Well, she more dodged the little girl's orange-painted hands. "After a bath you can hug me all you want," laughed Bella before turning to head back upstairs. Then, she stopped in her tracks. Robby was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes wide.

"Edward come here. Now." Bella said it quietly enough so that she wouldn't startle Robby.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, striding over to see what she was looking at. Then, she heard him laugh.

"Look at you, buddy! Come here. Do you want to paint with us?"

He nodded and stepped closer. Bella was in awe. In all of the time he'd been with them, he never once stepped foot in the basement. After he hesitantly made it the whole was over, Edward handed him a paintbrush and ushered him into the room. Bella couldn't help but watch. Her husband showed Robby how to dip the brush and then how to actually paint with it. "You just have to be careful you don't spill it anywhere."

Robby nodded and dipped his brush, on his own this time, bringing the bristles up to the wall. Edward stood back and let the two kids have fun with the wall but just as he turned around, it happened. Robby had turned to watch Edward, having to constantly know where everyone was—especially in close proximity—and accidentally stepped backwards. The side of his foot hit the paint pan and orange paint ran out all over the plastic sheets Edward had down.

Bella watched in horror as he dropped the brush and pushed past them, desperate to go back upstairs. He tripped trying to get upstairs and Bella and Edward both dove for him, afraid he'd get hurt. When he saw them coming, it made things worse and he righted himself then lunged for the area by the front door followed by sprinting up the stairs and into his room. After he slammed the door shut, Bella heard his sliding closet door being pushed open and then closed. Bella immediately began to cry, hating to see him like this as Edward asked her to keep an eye on Kaley.

Edward listened as Robby cried for a good ten minutes before finding the courage to go into the room. Here he was, thirty years old, and without the courage to help a five year old. "Robby?"

The little boy in the closet became absolutely silent. Edward tried again. "Would you like to come out?" Finally, Edward just decided to open the door and felt awful when Robby tried to climb further back into the closet. "Please, buddy, I just want to make sure you're okay..."

"I didn't...I didn't mean it...I didn't..."

"It was just an accident," Edward reassured him, sitting down in front of the door. "Please, just come out here."

Slowly, Robby made his way on his little hands and feet out from behind the sliding door. Robby stood in front of Edward, his knees were bent slightly and his little body was shaking. They didn't need words. Before Edward knew what was happening, he had the five year old in his arms. "I'm sorry..."

"Shh...it was an accident. That's why there was plastic on the floor. Look at your sock, bud. You look like an orange super hero."

Robby giggled at that and Edward kissed his forehead. "Look at me," Edward said, becoming serious. "You never have to be afraid of me. Remember how we talked about this? We don't hit in this house. Ever. None of us do. I promise you. I will never, ever hurt you or mommy or Kaley that way. Ever."

Robby just stared at his orange sock and Edward knew that no matter how often he told him, a part of the little boy may never believe him. Robby's biological father had broken Robby down completely. At night, Edward would lie beside Bella in bed, rubbing circles over the baby and thinking about what he wanted for Masen. He wanted him to feel loved, to feel safe. He couldn't imagine ever letting anything hurt his baby boy, let alone any_one_...let alone _himself_. He'd rather be dead than know that he hurt Robby, Masen, or Kaley. It didn't make sense to him, the idea of a father harming his own child.

"When my brother comes can I hold him?" Robby asked with a small smile as he looked up at Edward.

"Mommy or daddy will help you hold him, you just have to ask."

"Can we get the new baby today?"

"No, bud. You little brother isn't quite ready yet."

"Mommy, you look gorgeous!" Kaley said, trying to sound like an adult.

"Yeah. Gorgeous!" Robby agreed. Bella turned to look at them with a smile on her face. It was the night of the gala and Chelsea was getting ready in the kids' bathroom while Bella got ready in hers. So the kids wouldn't drive the poor girl nuts, Bella let them play in her and Edward's room while she got dressed in the bathroom. Now, both of them were sitting on the tub watching her put on makeup. "Can I wear makeup?" Kaley asked, watching her intently.

"When you're a bit older..."

"When I'm in college?"

"Sure, bug, when you're in college..." Bella said absently, concentrating on her eyeliner.

"Daddy said I can drive a car when I get in college," Robby put in excitedly.

When her makeup was done, she turned around and looked at the time, they had to leave in the next ten minutes or else they wouldn't get to Alice's in the time they had told her. "Bells?"

"In here!" she called out to Jake.

He came in and smiled. "You look..."

"Five months pregnant," Bella finished for him dryly.

"No. Beautiful. Now come on before the pixie bites my head off for picking her up late."

"I'm ready. I just have to drop the kids off on the way. Are you okay with that? Really, I can just drive myself..."

"It's fine. There's no point in you and Edward having two vehicles down there. Come on, kiddos...go get your shoes on."

After dropping them off at Edward's parent's—where Liz and Pete were going to watch them, they swung over to pick up Alice and then headed to the fire hall. As was normal, there were news cameras and people everywhere. In such a small town, big parties like this made news. In Seattle, it barely would have gotten mention. "Wow. This is a big deal," Chelsea laughed, seeing the rows and rows of cars parked out front.

"Oh, we know how to party!" Alice cheered, causing everyone to laugh. Before they could even catch their breath, she gave a breathy 'uh-oh'.

Jake immediately glanced back, probably concerned that a pregnant woman just said 'uh-oh' in the backseat of his car. "What? What's wrong?"

"That little foreign car? The one parked beside Edward's..."

"What about it?" Bella asked, suddenly concerned.

"It's Tanya's..."

Before Jake could even get the car into park, Bella had her door open. "Bella, wait! Here...let me help you..." Jake called, clicking off his seat belt and coming around to her side of the car.

"Jake, I'm fine. I want to go in and see what's going on."

Jake just shook his head and opened Chelsea's door for her, watching Bella head across the street with Alice in tow. Bella heard Jake explaining the situation to Chelsea and tried to remind herself not to get upset. It wasn't like Edward showed up at Tanya's doorstep and asked her to come to the damn thing. It wasn't even like they were on friendly enough terms to have that nice little chat. Rosalie waved them in and immediately, people began to recognize her. In a small town, teachers were pretty typically known. There were a lot of parents she had gotten to know over the past three years—the others knew of her husband.

Kindly deflecting the crowd, Bella looked around for her husband and wanted to cry when she couldn't find him. There were way too many people packed in the front of the hall and she wished she could hide. Just as she was about to give up and just talk to a couple she recognized from last school year, she felt a strong arm come around her and couldn't help the smile that crept up on her when the owner of those arms whispered, "You look amazing, love."

She immediately sank into him, relieved by his closeness. He didn't let on that anything was wrong and he seemed emotionally okay. Bella realized then that her feelings towards Tanya weren't because she was jealous of her, it was because she felt in a way protective of Edward. The relationship he'd had with Tanya had damn near ruined him romantically and she still saw the lingering effects from time to time...not to mention his fear that Bella would find someone 'better'. She hated Tanya, not because she was once married to Edward, but because she had hurt him so badly. Bella refused to let the bitch hurt him anymore than she already had.

"Bella, honey, how are you?" Esme asked, coming over before she could really say much to Edward.

"I'm good."

"How do you feel?" her mother in law asked, looking down at her slightly concealed tummy.

"Pregnant," laughed Bella. "It's all worth it, though. I can't wait."

"Well, just like Kaley, this little baby is going to have all the support it can get. I know you two are capable but if you ever need anything, you call. I want to be a part of this...and I know Carlisle is so, so excited!"

"Thanks. That means a lot, really. I'm sure we'll be calling. Edward might be a seasoned professional and I may be able to handle kids but I'm a rookie at this newborn stuff. You're probably going to get sick of me calling."

"Never. Come on, let's go find our seats."

Carlisle was already carrying two glasses of wine over to the table and he smiled when he saw them. "Bella, you look beautiful as always."

"Thanks, Carlisle."

Glancing over, she noticed she had lost Alice to Jasper-and Jake and Chelsea were already chatting them up. Emmett, already slightly tipsy came over before she could sit down and caught her in a bear hug. "Bells!"

"Em, be careful with her. Please..." Edward pleaded.

"Calm down, Eddy! I wouldn't hurt the mini-Eddy!"

"Alright," Rose said, coming up behind her husband and guiding him to a seat by James, "you are officially cut off..."

Edward had been nothing but attentive and since his arm had found her waist, he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her. The gala was more to them than just a fundraiser—though that was an important aspect, it was also the night the two of them relived the good memories of their first night in bed together...sexually, anyway. If Edward knew about Tanya being there, he didn't let on anything about it. Sipping from her water glass, Bella reminded herself that Tanya couldn't hurt him here. That she could put away the mama bear claws and just enjoy the evening.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the 2010 Firefighter's Gala," James said after making his way to the podium up front. "On behalf of myself and the men and women of Station 88, I want to extend a warm welcome and huge thank you for all of your help in funding our department. As with most small towns, Station 88 is only made up of a few men, all of which pour their souls into their jobs—and many of which work other jobs to support their families. We are always in need of newcomers and if anyone is interested, please call our office.

"I know we are all hungry but before we get to the food, I would like to introduce someone who should have been introduced long ago. Rosalie McCarty, will you please join me up here?" Rose stood up and went, obviously expecting this. "As most of you know, my wife Annie took care of the place and kept everything—and everyone—running. Rosalie has stepped up and taken over that role and I know Annie is looking down, proud as a peacock of her. Rose, would you like to say a few words?"

Bella had to wipe tears away and noticed that Edward was trying hard not to let tears escape...but desperately wanted to. Rose wiped her eyes and bravely spoke to the crowd. "Hey, everyone. I know the last thing you want to do is listen to me talk but I do have a few things to say. First, thank you to the community for all the donations and help with organizing this amazing, successful night. You have no idea how much it means to us. My husband and best friends are firefighters here and they truly go above the call of duty. I once heard someone say that when everyone runs away from a fire, the firefighter's are running towards it. Well, Edward Cullen—who most of you know, actually went out on a traffic call on the day of his wedding. My husband, Emmett and friend Jasper were also accompanying him, all in tuxes."

"They made it back in time," Rose assured everyone, causing people to chuckle, "but while we still have these same brave men, none of which are planning to leave, we need help. Money can only go so far before manpower must take over. As most of you know, Edward, Jasper, and Tyler, three of only seven men, have wives who are expecting within the next few months. We have two new recruits who would be more than happy to tell you about their experiences with us so far if you are interested. Just give us a call. We have a rule that us firefighter wives live by, while it might be hard to watch our men leave at three am for a dangerous house fire, if they don't go who knows what could happen to the other men? They work like a well oiled machine, everyone needs to be in their place when James calls 'action'. We're all very supportive of each other. It would also be great to have some women join the force. We don't discriminate! Okay, enough said, thank you all so much! Your help could save not only the lives in the community but also our brave men."

As she walked away, the room exploded in applause and Bella never felt more proud of her husband than she did in that moment. She had known Rose planned to mention that they needed men, that the guys would be at home tending to their families soon, because she'd asked Bella before announcing it to everyone that she was pregnant. Bella hadn't minded, though she knew people would be mentioning it to her all night now. Bella gave her a thumbs up when she came back to the table and everyone told her she did well.

Dinner went off without a hitch, though Rosalie kept glancing towards the back of the hall. Bella knew what was wrong but didn't want to say anything to upset Edward. "Rose, I have to go to the restroom."

In typical girl fashion, Rose said she'd go with her and stood up to follow. As soon as Edward couldn't hear her, Bella whispered, "I know she's here. I saw her car. Bitch parked right beside my husband outside..."

"I don't think he knows..."

"We're not telling him. He's really happy tonight and he deserves a relaxing evening," Bella said, opening the door to the bathroom and looking directly at her.

"Alright. I didn't know if I should say anything or not. I so badly want to say something to her, though. Bella, I know it's awful but I want her dead. I wouldn't actually kill her but I just...it's hard to explain."

"I know how you feel," Bella nodded after leaning down to see if anyone was in the stalls overhearing them, surprisingly yet thankfully, no one was. "I love you, you know that. Can you do me a favor though?"

"Of course..."

"Let me handle this with him. Believe me, he told me to stay away from her too but if she comes anywhere near him..." Bella's voice trailed off before she shook her heard, "Let's just say she better not underestimate a hormonal pregnant woman."

With a sigh and then a grin, Rosalie nodded in agreement but added, "Fine...but if you do take her down, go for the ovaries. I swear that woman should never again be allowed to reproduce..."

Bella just laughed and headed for the stall. "Good. Now, I really do have to pee."

They found Edward with Tyler and Emmett by the bar and headed over. Bella took the time to look at her husband, really look at him. As always, he looked stunning in the tux and Bella couldn't help but let her mind drift towards the idea of taking it off of him. "Hey, boys. Having fun?" Rose asked, snapping Bella back to the present.

"Yes. We need to do this more often!" Emmett said.

"Um...once a year is stressful enough. I don't have the energy for more than one..."

Edward stepped up to Bella, asking her to dance with him. Remembering the tone he'd had when she danced with Jake for all of ten minutes, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "I don't want to tire myself out..."

"It's okay," Edward smirked, "I've got you."

Bella rolled her eyes and followed him to the dance floor. She felt his hands pressing into the small of her back, pulling her towards himself. When he got her lips with his, she truly felt like the luckiest girl alive. He pulled away and she rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him to lead them during a slow song. A few people dancing close by congratulating them on the pregnancy and asking how the other little one was doing. Edward answered them kindly but it was no secret he just wanted a little time with his wife...people must have realized this because for the most part they were left alone.

The song was just on the last chorus when she felt his hold on her tighten and she almost gave him the same warning he had given Emmett an hour or so earlier. She turned her head enough so she could see what he was seeing, sure enough, his ex-wife was across the room with her tongue down her new boyfriends throat.

**Ah...yes, there will definitely be a second part to this. When? I have no idea. The big day is this Saturday and we'll be shipping out for our honeymoon the very next day. I hope to write a little but probably won't have much time...as I have other...er...things to attend to ;) So, for the first time in ANY of my stories, I plan to go a week (at least) without updating. I'm sorry to leave you guys off on this part of the chapter but it's getting along and it's better this than nothing, right? Lol I have been reading all of your reviews and have gotten back to some of you. Thank you so, so much for the opinions for the story and the best wishes for the wedding. I will be thinking about this amazing community on the biggest day of my life...you all have a piece of my heart! **

**So, if I don't get to update before this weekend, there is a possibility that it could happen over the next week but I kind of doubt it. I'm not forgetting about it, though, and you can definitely expect a new chapter the week after that. Please don't forget about me! If you're bored, check out some of my other stories :) Hugs and Kisses, Letzigprincess xx**


	60. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~If anyone has questions regarding when I'll update or anything else, please check out the a/n at the bottom of each chapter. I try to keep you in the loop every time. While the honeymoon was much too short, it's good to be back :) **

**Chapter 60**

**October Part II**

"Edward, look at me," he heard his wife say as she tightened her arms around him. It took him a moment to realize his body was so tense that his muscles were screaming in pain. The situation felt different when he was_ alone_ with Tanya, he was okay with her. It was over. This was something entirely different now. He had hoped to keep Bella's pregnancy concealed from his ex. Call it paranoia but he didn't trust Tanya any farther than he could throw her and he wasn't taking a chance risking Bella and the baby because she was a fucking looney. It didn't matter what he wanted, though. Tanya knew.

Forcing his eyes down to meet his Bella's wide brown ones, he shook his head, trying to act like he was okay. Trying to act like he didn't have this weird fight or flight feeling pumping through him, causing him to want to either approach Tanya and rip into her or grab Bella and get as far away from her as possible. It still gave him chills to think that Tanya had been in the same hospital room as Bella, that he had left her, giving Tanya the opportunity to waltz right in like she was an old friend.

"Baby, it's fine. Come on, let's go get you something to drink..."

"It's not fine, Bella. I don't want her around you..."

"Why? What can she possibly do to me here? I'm in a room full of fireman, ambulance workers, and news cameras. She's stupid but not that stupid."

"Don't doubt her idiocy, Bells. The woman's nuts."

"I know. She gave you and Kaley up," Bella mumbled under her breath, though Edward still heard it. "Listen, this is your night. _Our_ night. We have the whole evening to ourselves and your parents are keeping the kids overnight. We're going to let you get a little buzzed, we're going to dance and enjoy ourselves, and then I'll drive you home and we'll have sex five times if you want it. Please, please, don't let her ruin this for us."

"She couldn't ruin it, Bella," Edward said with such conviction that it would be impossible for her to argue with him. He glanced around, looking for Rose. The last thing he needed was for her to murder Tanya in front of the news people that Bella had pointed out.

Bella, being Bella, knew exactly what he was doing. "She knows Tanya's here. I spoke with her about it already."

"You _knew _she was here?" Edward asked, feeling slightly upset that she felt the need to keep it from him.

"Yes. She parked right beside you. I knew she was here the minute we pulled in."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Bella just raised an eyebrow. Of course he knew why, she didn't want him to be exactly how he was acting now that he knew. Kissing her again, he gave a smile and said, "I think I'm ready for that beer."

After talking to a few more people about the baby—a nice couple whose daughter was in Kaley and Robby's class the year before and the new parents of one of the children Edward had helped to get adopted, they found the gang standing by the front entrance. Carlisle saw Bella and held his arm out for her to take, "May I have this dance?"

"I don't know if my husband would approve..." Bella said, playing up the formal, perfect wife. They both jokingly looked to Edward who laughed and gestured them back towards the dance floor. He watched them go and shook his head.

"You know, mom, they didn't ask for your approval..." Edward nudged her arm.

"Honey," his mother said sweetly, "your father knows I trust him. Otherwise, he'd be a dead man after dealing with all of those pretty, young nurses."

Laughing again, Edward watched as Rosalie fought with Emmett about cutting back on the alcohol intake. Alice and Jasper were heading to the dance floor with Jacob and Chelsea in tow. "Have you heard from Aunt Liz at all?"

"No. Perhaps you should give her a call. I know they were excited to get to see the little ones..."

"Well, the kids were excited, too. Robby isn't that okay with Uncle Pete yet, though."

"Liz would have called if there was a problem.. You know she would have. Why don't you call and talk to them, though? See for yourself so you can relax. Come on, I'll go outside with you."

After hearing that the kids were fine, that Kaley was her normal cheerful self and Robby was—as expected—still keeping his distance from Pete, Edward let himself relax. Bella was right, nothing would be able to ruin this night. The mere mention of the gala would always bring back memories of the first one they did, the one that had ended with him and Bella just simply being together. He realized there was never a set 'dating anniversary' for the two of them but if he had to pick where he had without a doubt fallen in love with her, it would have been that night. At least, that was the night he'd let himself fully admit it.

It was also the same night that Tanya had drugged his baby girl and Kaley had been sick. Just like that, the bitter taste was back in his mouth. He glanced around, wanting to be sure that Bella was safe and having fun, when he spotted Tanya looking directly at him. New beau was nowhere in sight and Edward stood frozen, staring back at her. There was so much he wanted to say, yet he so badly wanted to say nothing. It had been easier when she lived in Timbuktu or where ever the hell the man she was sleeping with at the time was living. Edward wondered everyday since he'd found out about it why she would have chosen Forks to come back to.

"See something you like?" a man's voice asked from behind him and he turned to see the African American man with dread locks that Tanya had just recently been sucking face with. Edward felt like he'd seen the man before but couldn't figure out where.

"Not really," Edward said with complete honesty.

"She's a beautiful woman, isn't she?" Edward didn't have the slightest clue what the guy was trying to do, so he just kept his mouth shut. "Come on, you can't tell me she's not one of the most beautiful women you've ever seen. The girl could be a model. Long blonde hair, nice chest, long legs...but I don't have to tell _you_ that."

"What do you want?" Edward asked, just wanting to go join Bella where she was smiling and doing the 'Macarena' with Carlisle and Chelsea.

"I want you to tell me you don't still love her."

"I don't," Edward answered, not really even having to think about it.

"I'm not stupid, Edward. She asked me to move us out to this dead little town where the most exciting thing is a Fireman's Gala...don't fucking tell me there's nothing between you two..."

"Whoa. Stop. Do you want to know something...I'm sorry...I didn't get your name," Edward said, trying to be tactful.

"Laurent."

"Laurent, I begged that 'beautiful'," Edward made air quotes for the word, "girl for a divorce. It took me over two years to get her to agree to it. During that time, I raised my daughter—who that 'beautiful' girl wanted to abort—by myself. The reason? That 'beautiful' girl couldn't stay faithful to me. You can say whatever you want about my ex-wife, I really don't give a shit if you tell me that she still has feelings for me, I will never again care about her in any other way than wanting her out of my life for good. If she makes you happy, then go for it. Just watch your back, man because she's not one to stay off of hers."

Edward expected it, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he expected it...the punch to the face. He refused to show fear and continued to stare the man down. Instead, the man just looked back at him before nodding to Rosalie. "Tanya told me you slept with her while you were still married. I guess it went both ways, didn't it?"

"I truly don't understand what the fuck you are trying to do here. Leave me the hell alone. I have nothing to justify to you..."

"You can justify it to the courts when we fight for custody of Kaley."

Edward blood turned to ice. You could say whatever you wanted about him, Rose, any member of his close group of friends, but this man had no fucking right bringing up his daughter. "You can go to hell. Tanya signed her rights over to me the day my daughter was born..."

"She can still fight as the mother..."

Edward smirked then, "No. She can't. My wife legally and fully adopted Kaley the moment we were married. There is absolutely no way the state could take our daughter from us. You're barking up the wrong fucking tree."

"So, that's it, then? You're going to keep the little girl away from her biological mother?"

Edward just shook his head, "Go back to Tanya. Seriously, no one is taking my daughter away from the only mother she knows. You can tell Tanya she can kiss my ass."

Laurent, to his surprise, just walked away. Edward soon realized it was because Emmett was standing right behind him, obviously drunk, but giving the guy a death stare. "Em, it's fine. Tanya's just using some guy to do her dirty work..."

It was not fine, though. She was _so_ not fucking with his family. "Let me kick his ass, Edward..."

"No. You'll end up in jail on assault charges. Let it go."

He headed back to the bar for another beer and felt nothing but anger when Tanya approached him next. Before she could even get out a hello, Edward turned to look right at her. "Listen. You stay the fuck away from Kaley. I'm serious. You didn't want her five years ago and you sure as fuck aren't getting her now..."

"I don't..."

Edward looked at her, trying to decide if slapping her would knock some sense into that curly blonde head of hers—and realizing that he wouldn't hit a woman, even this sad excuse for one. "Dreadlocks just informed me that you wanted custody..."

"Ignore him," Tanya said, rolling her eyes. "He thinks I want you back so that I can get to Kaley. He thinks that if we sue for custody he'll have me to himself..."

Edward threw his hands up in the air in total desperation, "For fucks sake, Tanya! Do you even realize what you're doing to people? This manipulative bitch that you've turned into makes people hate you!"

"I didn't try to manipulate you when it came to Kaley..."

"No, you fucking drugged her..."

"I didn't realize...I was stupid, okay? I'm not good at this mother stuff."

"All you had to do was keep her safe for one fucking evening and you couldn't even handle that."

"Please, just let me explain why I did what I did when I was pregnant, why I said those things..."

"Because you wanted to manipulate me into staying with you. You held the life of my child over my head for nine months. Who does that? What kind of mother gives her husband the ultimatum of 'stay with me or I'll abort your baby'? You need help."

"I said what I did because I didn't know that I could give her up. You don't understand what it's like to carry a child for nine months and then just let it leave your life forever. I was starting to love it and that scared me."

"IT has a name!" Had he not been so pissed off, had this been another time, he may have smiled. He could remember Bella reminding him of that when it came to their unborn son.

"Fine. I was starting to love Kaley, okay? I was still so in love with you and I knew I had messed up with those other guys...they never meant to me what you _mean_ to me...I mean _meant_ to me..." Tanya tried to save herself but couldn't quite manage.

"So how far are you going to let this bullshit about wanting Kaley go on with your new fuck buddy? Huh, Tanya?"

"I'll tell him soon, I promise..."

"It's not good enough," he spat. "Kaley doesn't even know who you are. I can guarantee you will never win in court so for the love of all things holy, don't drag my daughter into this. She's innocent. She's a happy, smart child who loves Bella and think she's the best mother in the world. Tanya, if you ever loved me or Kaley, you need to just walk away and leave my family alone. I'm begging you."

"I do love you..."

"Oh, give it the fuck up, Tanya," Edward heard Bella say from behind him.

Edward had no idea how much of their conversation she'd heard but from the tone in her voice, it probably didn't matter. He instinctively stepped closer to Bella, as if shielding her, when he saw that there were tears in Tanya's eyes. A part of him, some teeny tiny sliver of his subconscious felt bad for her. The rest of him, to his surprise, wanted her to suffer.

"I'm leaving. I'll take Laurent and go. I just wanted to tell you about Laurent's...notions...I saw him talking to you. I wanted you to know that I'm not going to interfere with your family. I'm going..."

"Yes, I think it's definitely time for you to leave," Bella spat.

"Goodbye, Edward. Congratulations on the new baby."

Edward watched her leave, not really knowing how to feel. The woman was an emotional roller coaster and it was like watching it fly off of it's tracks. He turned to his wife, speaking of emotional roller coasters, and immediately apologized. "I didn't want to talk to either one of them..."

"It's okay. I know. I'm surprised she backed down so easily, though."

"She knows I wouldn't let her lay a hand on you," he said tensely, pulling Bella towards himself.

As if on cue, the announcement was made that the song was going out to the firemen's wives of station 88 and Etta James came over the speakers. He saw Bella smile and allowed her to pull him to join the others on the dance floor. It was a bit late by then, about ten, and when the song came to an end, he realized he was ridiculously hard. This probably had a lot to do with the fact that his wife was currently kissing his neck and nibbling on his ear—not to mention that the erection he had was being rubbed against by her hip. He worried about the news people—and realized there were probably a lot of bystanders around to see the Tanya confrontation but no one seemed to mind...and the news people were gone.

"Are you ready to head out? You need to check your sugar anyway," Edward whispered, though they both knew what he wanted.

"Yeah, sure," Bella forced out, her voice thick with lust.

The whole trip home Edward watched Bella drive, trying to gauge how tired she actually was. Sex was something that he was always careful with, he didn't want to stress her body. The dress fit her perfectly and he couldn't help but reach over and run his hand up her leg. She smirked, "So, what did Tanya have to say?"

He snapped his hand back, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided to tell the truth. "Laurent, that's her new boyfriend's name, approached me first. Then I talked to her after. Apparently, the bitch is lying to him, telling him I'm keeping her from Kaley. According to him, there's something going on between Tanya and I and if she gets custody of Kaley, it'll get me off their backs. He thinks I'm the reason she wanted to move back here. It's all bullshit," he added quickly as he felt the car actually slow down.

"How can you..."

"I also talked to Tanya. After him. She still doesn't want Kaley...at least I don't think she does..."

"Not thinking so and knowing so are two very different things, Edward. She can't, though, right? I'm her mother!"

"Get custody? No. Legally, there is nothing she can do. It would be like us getting permanent custody of Robby and then a long lost family member trying to get him. It doesn't work like that. If a parent signs over his or her rights, and the child is adopted as far as the courts are concerned, there is nothing the family can do. The adoptive parents are the parents. End of story. Besides Tanya doesn't want her. It won't get to a point where we have to worry about her."

"She still loves you."

The way it was said it, as if it truly mattered, made him feel sick. "_I_ love _you_."

"Laurent has a point. Why else would she have come here? If not for Kaley."

Edward didn't say anything then. Swallowing hard, he looked out the window and tried to clear his alcohol hazed mind. "I don't know...maybe she got a job or the cost of living..."

"Edward," she stopped him.

Neither of them said anything and he felt the silence weighing on them. "Pull over."

"Are you sick?" Bella asked immediately, her voice automatically softening.

"No. Let's go to the park."

"Are you crazy? It's dark..."

"It's still warm and you checked your sugar before we left, its not low. Please. Come to the park with me."

Bella shook her head but he could tell, even past the shadows, that she was amused. He grinned as she pulled into the parking lot beside the nature trail. There was no one around due to the lateness and he knew that if a cop came by, they'd be asked to leave. No one was supposed to be in the park after dusk. Bella seemed to sense that they were doing something that they shouldn't and grinned back. Locking eyes for no longer than five seconds, she reached for her door and he pushed his open.

He caught her hand and pulled her towards the area behind the slides, from what he could tell, it was the darkest area. He sat down in the woodchips, helping her down into his lap. His mouth touched hers and he kissed her deeply before pulling away. "I love you, Bells."

"I love you, too."

"I'm sorry about what's happening but we can't let it..."

"You can't control what she does. I don't _want_ you to be able to do that. I don't want either of you to effect each other's lives at all."

"Then you agree that I'm not the reason she's here."

"That's not what I said. You can't help that she loves you. I know you aren't trying to make it enticing for her. I just feel protective."'

"She isn't going to get our daughter."

"Of you."

"Me?"

"Yes. She hurt you. You are the way you are because of her. I don't want to watch her hurt you again."

"She can't. I have the perfect family. I have a beautiful wife," he smiled and kissed her cheek, "I have Kaley and Robby. I have a little son on the way. I have a great home, a good job, and great friends. There is no way she can hurt me."

"We shouldn't be here, though," laughed Bella, calming down from her spontaneous high and looking around.

"I miss this..."

She looked back at him again. "We have two little ones and another on the way."

"That's no reason to not spend time together...just the two of us. I miss being with you. I miss those nights when mom and dad would take Kal's and we'd have a nice dinner and come home..."

"And try to make a baby," Bella finished for him. "Come on, love. Let's go home. I miss you, too."

Edward smiled at her before kissing her cheek again and helping her up. On the way back to the Volvo he thought about what she meant by missing him. He realized he didn't so much miss being spontaneous, he missed just simply being with her. He prayed that things would calm down enough so that he could spend more time alone with her...and more time with the kids. Thinking through his upcoming work week, he tried to figure out a way to make it work.

**So, in the next couple of chapters, thing are going to get turned upside down. This story is pretty much going chapter to chapter and I'm going to let my creative mind take me where it may. That's the beauty of writing, you can have a plan and then things go in the opposite direction and it just feels right so you go with it. I never intended to continue this story for as long as I have, and though I had nothing planned for this many chapters, it just seems silly to break it into two different stories now. I am doing this for fun and to practice my writing style. I'm trying to keep it from getting to be a big run-on and want to keep it interesting—though don't worry—nothing too insane will happen and you'll get to see things you are waiting for. With that said, thank you so, so much to all those who are letting me know they are still dedicated and I'm still amusing them. I love you guys!**

**PS For those who care to know- Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, and Virginia Beach were absolutely awesome this past week with my new husband. My life is busy, getting our home put together, and having just graduating, applying for full time jobs. I will update as much as possible, you know how I've updated in the past. It's impossible for it to be everyday but it should be a few times a week. Your support means a lot. Please keep it up. Hugs, kisses, and lots of love, Letzy xx **


	61. Chapter 61

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight. I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 61**

**November Part 1**

"The baby is funny!" Robby laughed as he pulled his hand away from Bella's stomach.

Bella sat cross-legged on the floor with her two little ones in front of her. The newest fascination for both kids was the new baby and she couldn't be happier. Edward, who was currently out on a call, had been concerned about Kaley's reaction to the baby for the past few months. It wasn't until Esme told her that she could help plan Bella's baby shower that the little girl started to get truly excited. Not wanting to let the little girl be disappointed because there would be gifts that were not meant for her, Bella and Esme had gone together and gotten her a special gift that she could open that day.

"Mommy?" Kaley asked, seeming to be in deep thought.

"What sweetie?"

"Is the baby making you get fat?"

Bella opened her mouth but closed it quickly again. It took her a minute of fighting laughter—and a hint of insult to say, "Kal's, we don't say that people are fat. Even if you think it's true, it's not nice. To answer your question, mommy is _gaining weight _because the baby is in there and I have to eat enough for both of us."

"Daddy says you eat gross food. He said you like onion rings and cookies in milk. He told Uncle Emmett that it's gross!" Robby put in.

"Okay, okay, enough with my eating habits. You to lovelies have school in the morning...as well as me. So, let's go to bed."

"Daddy's not home yet," Kaley said and at that moment she went from a kid trying to be an adult to a child missing her father.

"Come here, Kal's. Daddy will be home soon and I bet he'll be happy to know that you are in bed. We don't want to be grumpy in the morning for him, do we?"

"No," she pouted.

"Come on. Let's get those teeth brushed and our pj's on..."

"Can we put out cookies?" Kaley asked.

Bella, who was pulling herself up off the floor shook her head. "Absolutely not. You just had ice cream..."

"Not for me. For daddy. Like Santa Clause!"

Bella looked at her before laughing again. "You want to put cookies out for daddy like you do for Santa Clause?"

"Yeah!"

Shaking her head, Bella relented, "Alright. Just a few cookies, though. We don't want daddy getting big like mommy."

While Kaley carefully chose Edward's favorite cookies from the cookie jar and placed them on a plate, Bella watched as Robby stood there awkwardly. "You tired, baby?" she asked, pushing his hair out of his face.

He just shrugged the signature Kaley shrug and Bella asked, "Do you want to set out a cookie for daddy?"

He nodded and dug into the cookie jar. Kaley broke her concentration and said, "Santa Clause is going to come to grammy and pappy's house. He's getting me makeup like mommy."

"Oh really?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup," her little girl said without a doubt before turning to Robby. "What's Santa going to bring you? Last year he brought me..."

Bella listened as Kaley went on and on about the Jolly Old Saint Nick until she heard Robby's response. "Santa Clause only comes to good kid's houses. He never brought me anything. My...daddy...he used to say that he could hear him go over our house with his deers..."

This was one of the very rare times Robby supplied them with information about his home life before he came to live with them. Bella heard the strain in his voice when he mentioned his father before...and she could see the confusion on Kaley's face. Intervening, Bella said, "I think we can all have one cookie before bed? What do you say?"

This distracted them enough to get Kaley to not ask him about it, though Bella knew she would have to diffuse the situation with the kids separately. As soon as the cookies were gone and teeth were brushed—again-Bella went to Robby's room first, knowing Kaley would still be picking out pajamas ten minutes later. "Hey, buddy!" she said cheerfully after knocking on his door.

"Hey..." he seemed to be in thought again.

"I have something to tell you. Daddy told me _all_ about it. He talked to Santa the other day and guess what Santa said? He didn't know where your house was. He looked every year and just couldn't find it. Guess what, though?"

Bella watched his eyes light up and it helped her feelings of guilt for lying to him, then again, when it came to Santa Clause, it really was just all lies. There was no reason she was leaving him out of this one good lie...not after all the awful ones he had been raised with. "What?" he asked, as if conspiratorially.

"He knows me and daddy personally and stops by every, single year. He likes to visit grammy and pappy on Christmas Eve but after that, while you and Kaley sleep, he'll leave presents under the tree for you."

"Do you think Caleb would have gotten a present if Santa could find us?"

Bella was surprised by his response and she asked, "Do you think he should have gotten a present, Robby?"

"No. He...he did bad things..."

Bella wished Edward was there. He was so much better at the counseling stuff than she was. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Robby just looked at her as if to ask 'aren't I already?'. "Okay," Bella continued, "if you ever have something to tell me, about anything, you just tell me. I'll listen."

"I want to go to bed."

Bella smiled at the way he decided to change the subject and nodded. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, mommy."

Bella took a deep breath before knocking and opening Kaley's door. The little girl acted as if she were about to walk down the runway rather than snuggle up in her bed. "You ready, bug?"

"Yup," Kaley bounced over to the bed and jumped in, handing Bella her beat up copy of Beauty and the Beast. Bella didn't need the book, she knew it by heart.

Before Bella could begin, Kaley laid back against her pillows and asked, "Why did daddy say that to Robby?"

"Kaley, Robby had a different daddy before. Your daddy would never let Santa pass up our house."

Later that night, the trilling of the house phone woke Bella from her light sleep and she grabbed it off the comforter beside her. The phone was never far away if Edward was. "Hello?" she asked, her heartbeat speeding up as a million horrible thoughts ran through her mind.

"Bells, I'm fine," Edward's calm voice helped her to relax. "We're leaving the site of the accident now...I know it's late. It's bad out here, baby. I wanted to ask if you minded that I crash at the station tonight? Emmett and I are both heading there now to drop of our equipment but the roads are horrible. It's only a matter of time before we get called out again..."

"No, it's fine. I'd rather you just stay with the guys instead of going back and forth..."

"Alright. If you need me for anything, just call. If there's an emergency, call an ambulance. I don't want you driving."

"Edward, I'm safe and sound in bed—as well as your kids. We'll be fine. You be careful."

"Always."

"Oh, and the kids left you cookies. Apparently, you rank up there with Santa."

Edward chuckled over the phone. "Tell them I'll see them after work tomorrow and they can help me eat them."

"Will do. Now, be safe, and call if there's a problem. I love you."

"Love you too."

Bella turned the phone off and set it back down beside her. It would remain there until morning when she spoke to Edward again before having to leave for work. This wasn't uncommon for winters in Washington and she knew he had what he needed at the station for work the next day. Absently, as she drifted back to sleep, she realized she forgot to tell him about the woman who called for him earlier that night.

"Happy shower!" Alice exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air and looking rather ridiculous with her eight month belly protruding out from under her shirt.

"Thanks, Al. I'm nervous, though. This center of attention thing is seriously not me..."

"It's all good. Come on," Alice reassured her, taking her by the hand and heading into the firehall with her. Her mom, Esme, Leah, Alice, Rose, Lily, and Kaley had been hard at work the day before getting things ready. She wasn't allowed to even see it until today and her jaw dropped when she did. There were pale blue table clothes, little pacifier candies in little boxes, and a 'dirty diaper' as a centerpeice—which consisted of a diaper filled with soil and a plant. There was a table set up where Esme, Renee, she and Kaley would sit. Their places were marked by letter blocks: 'MOMMY' 'BIG SISTER' 'GRAMMY CULLEN' and 'GRAMMY SWAN'. The cake was a big, edible teddy bear, and there were rubber duckies floating in the punch bowl. Bella was in absolute awe.

"You guys shouldn't have..."

"Oh, hush," Renee cut her off. "You deserve this. Now, act like you're happy and go have a seat. Guests will be arriving soon."

"I am happy!" Bella protested. "You all did an amazing job!"

Guests came, each one bringing at least one pack of diapers—for every pack they brought, they received a raffle ticket for a prize. Bella had to smile at all the familiar faces, even Linda managed to come. The woman had been nothing but kind to her and she held no grudges against her. Besides, Kaley loved the woman dearly.

Renee stood after everyone was seated and cleared her throat, "Welcome, everyone! We're so glad you all could make it and on behalf of all of us up here, I want to say thank you for your help with the food and your generous donations of diapers. Goodness knows, she's going to need them."

Everyone chuckled and Kaley clapped her hands, causing people to laugh again. "Before we eat, I believe Esme and Bella have something for the big sister."

Esme reached under the table and pulled out two little boxes that were taped together. In the first one, was something a little more sentimental. It was a necklace which belonged to Esme when she was child that was a gold pendant which had a heart with a little foot inside of it—it was given to her when her baby sister was born. The next gift made Kaley quickly forget about the necklace. After discussing it with Edward for almost a week, Bella talked him into letting Kaley get play make up that was easily washable and basically clear. It didn't matter to the little girl though, it was as if they had just bought her a puppy.

It was the Saturday after the bad snowstorm they had received and it turned out that there was a snow day the next day anyway. Bella let the kids make snowmen and then fed them toasted cheese and tomato soup for lunch. She loved being with them and having the opportunity to spend time with them alone before the new baby came. When they went down for naps, which rarely happened now that they were getting older, but running around in snow suits must have tired them out, Bella went to work in the baby's room. She smiled to herself, now. The letters for his name that would go on the wall behind the crib were hidden in the top drawer of her and Edward's bed stand.

After the food was eaten, the gifts were open, and the cake was cut, Bella watched her husband come in from outside followed by Robby. Both were layered in warm clothes and Robby's arms stuck out from just how many layers Edward had put him in. Everyone said hello to him as he passed their tables, making his way to the front. From behind him, he pulled out a bouquet of baby blue spray roses and Robby handed her a teddy bear that he pulled from his pocket. She, of course, began to cry and kissed them both. Edward helped Robby out of his coat and sweater and then did the same himself.

"Thanks, everyone! Your support means a lot to us and our little guy is going to enjoy your wonderful generosity! Bella and I would like to announce the baby's name today before you all start to leave..." he looked to Bella for her to continue. She shook her head and told him to go ahead and do it. With the proudest face she'd ever seen him wear, Edward announced, "We chose to name our son Masen Anthony. My mom's family got her through a lot when I was a baby and I wanted our son to carry that name."

This elicited plenty of 'oohs and ahh's' from the crowd and Esme came forward to hug them both. She was in tears as well. Renee seemed to sense that Esme was a bit emotional and thanked everyone for coming. While Bella said goodbye's and thank you's to everyone, Edward got redressed and they headed out to load up the Jeep. Emmett and Jasper also appeared, though that didn't surprise Bella, they had all been there in Seattle for Alice's shower. Due to weather, and Bella wanting Edward's family to have a big part in things, they had hers in Forks.

Feeling completely exhausted, she leaned against a wall and waited for them to finish. Chelsea, who she had seen in the back but hadn't gotten to say hello to her, came over and gave her a hug. "Jake wanted to come but he wasn't up to traveling."

"Chels, how is he? Really?" Bella asked, realizing that she finally had an opportunity to talk about him without him being present.

"He's...good. I've seen guys in his situation come back worse. He's worried that he's a burden, though. I'm scared he's going to push me out. That I can find someone better..."

"He told you this?"

"No. I heard him talking to Billy about it."

"Edward was the same way with me," Bella commented, thinking back to when they first met. "Really, Jake had a lot to do with it. Even Alice wasn't too happy about me dating him. I was just finishing up college and he had a daughter and was five years older than me. It took awhile for everyone to warm up to the idea. Don't let Jake or anyone else tell you how to feel. That's not fair."

"I can't make him be with me, Bella."

"Don't give him the room to let you leave. He really loves you. I imagine it's going to kill him to have you walk away. If you need me to talk to him, not about you in particular, but about the burden thing, just let me know."

"Thanks. I'm going to go see if Leah needs any help."

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked later on, after the presents were carried into the house and the kids were tucked into bed.

"Not well. My back is killing me."

"Let's get you into bed."

After he helped her and brought her a small piece of cake to keep her sugar up for the night, Bella fell into a restless sleep. Nightmares hadn't been uncommon for her and they ranged anywhere from Edward missing the birth to her falling down the stairs—thankfully she always woke up before having to see the result. Tonight, she was in and out of sleep more than dreaming and after one o'clock, gave up and went out into the living room.

"Bella?" she heard behind her after finding a late night talk show to watch.

"Baby, go back to bed. I'm fine."

Of course he didn't listen to her. Sitting on the couch beside her, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek. He must have known she was not up for conversation because he just sat there in silence. About twenty minutes later, she glanced over and saw that he was sound asleep. With a smile she snuggled into him and fell asleep herself, knowing they would both be sore the next morning but finally feeling at peace to the point that she didn't care.

Sunday came quick and the household was awoken at six am when the phone rang, waking up Edward and Bella both. Kaley crept out of her bedroom as she listened to Bella answer it. Robby was next to peak his head out. "Edward?"

It was a woman's voice, one that Bella recognized had called before looking for her husband. "No, this is his wife. May I ask who this is?"

Edward's attention was focused on Bella and Kaley walked over to hug his leg. Walking over, Bella handed him the phone and took Kaley's hand to give him some privacy. She knew it was wrong but couldn't bring herself to not try to hear him from Kaley's bedroom. The woman was distraught and Bella could only make out something about 'her baby'. When Kaley and Robby were playing with a puzzle, Bella went out to find him heading towards the bedroom. "What are you doing?"

"I have to go into work. The woman who called is a client of mine...well...her son is. He was taken away from them and she managed to get him back but now she's begging me to come get him. She's willingly handing him over..."

"How can someone give away their child like that?" Bella asked, her hand coming to rest over her own, unborn son.

"She isn't doing it because she doesn't want him. She's doing it because her husband is dangerous and wants her and the baby both to suffer. Bells, there's a lot of bad out there. Not everything is black and white." Bella was surprised by how snappy he was being but knew he always got worked up over cases. That's what made him so good at his job...but also sometimes caused him problems. "I called Gary. He told me to go check out the situation...I have permission from the courts to remove the baby if I feel it needs to be done. I'll be home in a few hours. Call if you need me."

"I will. Be careful. Oh, and it's freezing out there. Keep yourself and that baby warm."

He smiled before pulling her to his chest and kissing her forehead. "I love you."

Bella got the kids breakfast and made sure to eat some of the french toast herself. When everyone seemed to want to go into a food coma from all the cinnamon-y goodness, she helped them get ready for church. When church was over and there was still no sign of her husband, Bella checked her cell phone and saw that he had sent her a text message.** I need you to call me. **Knowing it must be something important, she waited until they were home before calling. He answered two seconds before the voice mail would have picked up. "Bells?"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I um...Joshua...the baby that I got called out for this morning..."

"Yeah..." Bella's stomach flopped, she knew from his tone he was really, really upset. Peering out the window to check on the kids, who were playing in the snow, she listened quietly.

"Well, the woman's husband found out she called me. See, she was basically bought by him, Bella. Barely old enough to legally be married, she was forced into it. The man wanted her for nothing more than to pop out children. The problem was he didn't want to care for them—I think I told you this before... I spoke briefly to her today, she was beaten so badly that she couldn't physically take care of her son...or protect him. I'm not going to give you the details but I'm going to be here awhile giving statements and things. He died, Bells. They were both there when Jo took me up to see him...I think she already knew he was dead...she wouldn't look at me. The father is furious with us both but she won't leave him..."

"Baby, I'm sorry..." Bella realized she had tears running down her face and grabbed a tissue. Even though she didn't know these people, it was still upsetting.

"Just try to rest today. Are the kids outside? I'm sure they're having a blast in the snow that fell last night."

"Oh, yeah. I might bundle up myself and take them sled riding...don't worry...I don't plan to do it myself," Bella smiled, knowing Edward was probably panicking at the thought of her going down the hill behind Esther and Alan's old house with them.

After getting off the phone, Bella looked away from the kids who were building a snowman family and started to make chicken noodle soup for lunch. Lost in thought about the poor little boy and his abused mother, she hummed a song she had heard in church that morning and prayed for the woman. She also took time to thank God that her husband hadn't been harmed. If this was the family he told her about before, the father sounded like a real asshole...much like Robby's father had been. Ironic then, that Robby would burst through the door. "Mommy!"

The panic in his voice was enough to make her drop the soup laddle she was holding, letting the stainless steel metal clang against the floor. It was a desperate, needful cry. She hadn't known it at the time but it would be a cry that would haunt her for a long, long time. "Robby? Baby, what's wrong?" He made it to the top of the steps as she was heading for him and he was shaking.

"Kaley...car..." Bella couldn't understand what he was saying through his sobs and slid on a pair of slippers after going downstairs. Her blood was ice cold and she was having trouble breathing. Her first thought was that Kaley had been hit by a passing car. Leaving Robby in the house, Bella sprinted in her slippers to the end of the yard. It was silent outside, she looked up and down the road, praying to God she wouldn't see blood on the snow. She thanked God again when it was clear of anything offensive and looked around the yard. There were little footprints everywhere from the snow and she looked back and forth for her daughter...who wasn't there. Hearing Robby sobbing on the front porch she turned to him, "Where is she, baby? You can tell me. It's okay!"

"No it isn't! She got in the car!" Bella's heart stopped and everything faded out. Without thinking, she dashed towards the road, as if she stood a chance at seeing the car that took her daughter. Turning back towards the house, Bella yelled to the little boy. "Robby get in the house and lock the door! Don't let anyone you don't know in. Go!"

Bella was crying at this point and fumbling to get her cell phone from her jeans pocket. Standing in the snow in slippers, Bella never felt so cold. Wanting more than anything to call Edward, Bella knew that in kidnapping cases, time was everything. "911. What's you're emergency?"

"My...I need help...my daughter's been kidnapped..." Bella choked on the words and prayed they'd understand her.

"Alright, mam, what's your address?" For a second, Bella had trouble remembering it but somewhere along the line, she managed to get that out too. "Alright, try to remain calm. Was this the address your daughter was taken from?" Bella choked out a 'yes'. "Officers have been dispatched. What's your name?"

"Isabella Cullen. My daughter is Kaley Ann Cullen. Please, hurry! She's only five years old!"

"Okay. Can you give me a description of her?"

Bella told them as much as she could and the dispatcher asked her to grab a photo of the little girl to give to the police. She was assured that they would do everything in their power to find Kaley and that Edward was well known by the department, that he had worked with them many times. The mention of Edward made Bella physically sick. This was going to kill him. If he lost his daughter, she knew without a doubt that she would lose him. He wouldn't be the husband she knew. Choking back vomit, Bella dialed his number.

**Please, don't tell me how much you hate me. You all need to remain calm as well! :) I told you things were going to go kind of nuts. Part 2 will be out shortly...I'm already working on it! Thanks for your support! Love, Letzigprincess.**


	62. Chapter 62

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~Please read the author's note at the bottom. Pretty please?**

**Chapter 62**

**November Part II**

"Bells, hey, I'll call you back in a minute..."

"No..."

"What's wrong?" Bella heard worry overcome him through the phone.

"I'm sorry...it's Kaley..."

"Bella, talk. What's wrong? I don't understand..."

"She's been kidnapped! They were playing...Robby came and got me...she was here at home..." The word kidnapped sounded strange on her tongue. There was absolute silence on the other end. Bella began to sob and covered her mouth to keep from letting him hear it. A few, long seconds later, she heard a car door open and shut and an engine rev. He wasn't talking and she wasn't going to push him. Forcing herself into the house, Bella saw that Robby was sobbing on the bench by the front door.

She didn't know what was worse, the dull revving of the Jeep's engine or the crying of the child for the despair over his missing sister. Someone was trying to call her cell phone and the call waiting kept beeping. It was Rosalie but she couldn't hang up with Edward, not even if she tried. The dispatcher had asked Bella to turn the porch light on so she did, grabbed a picture, and went back outside. Clutching her large stomach, Bella fell to her knees and vomited into the snow. "Miss? Miss, are you okay?"

Looking up, she realized the first police car had arrived and she pulled herself up just in time to see her husband's Jeep come to a stop behind it. She handed them the picture, feeling like her entire world was spinning, unable to keep her eyes from her husband. He looked like he was in physical pain, his hair was pulled in several directions and Bella worried that he was going to have an actual heart attack. He was in a daze it seemed as he approached them. "Robby?" he finally managed to choke out.

"He's in the house. He's safe..." _and our daughter isn't..._

The officer seemed to notice then that Bella was pretty far along. "Miss, why don't we get you into the house? It's freezing out here..."

Bella felt them guide her in and looked back to see Edward walking back to the Jeep. As the officer shut the door behind them, she watched in despair as he pulled away once again. She was left alone to deal with the police and their distraught son. Biting back another sob, Bella sat down heavily on the bench with her head in her hands, listening as the officers began their questions.

**Five years ago**

_Edward's hands shook as he sat in the waiting room, pacing the floor, waiting for a tiny baby who may or may not be his. This little baby could be male or female. This little baby could be perfectly healthy or terminally ill. This little baby was about to change his entire world. _

"_Mr. Cullen?" Edward's head snapped up as he looked at the young nurse in front of him. She looked to be younger than him and had an uneasy look on her face. It was a look of someone unsure of what the hell was going on. "Mrs. Cullen is fine. The baby was born at 8:45 and she's completely healthy The paternity test is being administered. If you'd like to see your wife..."_

"_She? It's a girl?"_

"_Yes. Five pounds exactly. She's beautiful. Do you wish to see her?"_

"_My wife? No, that's alright."_

"_No," the girl said, looking down at her shoes like she did something wrong, "the baby."_

_Edward wasn't sure. He honestly didn't know if it was a good idea. Here he was, a twenty-five year old, worried about falling in love with a newborn that wasn't his. He had figured him being in the delivery room was all sorts of bad but he felt like he was being neglectful if he told this nurse no now that the baby had arrived. While he heard his mother, who obviously felt that he wasn't going to answer start, "That's okay...we can wait..." he interrupted._

"_No. Now. I want to see her."_

_The nurse looked back and forth between him and his mother before nodding her head. "As you wish. Follow me."_

_He was lead to the very end of the hall and went through a few sets of doors before he heard them. There were seven babies born to Forks Hospital that day and on a few previous days before. He heard at least two of them bawling before he could even see them. The tiny, pink bundle that he was so terrified of was lying there awake. She was the most alert baby he had ever seen. The tag read 'Baby Cullen' and Edward thought of the irony. Whether the child was his or not, Tanya still had his last name, as would her child. _

_She wasn't front and center where it was easy for her to be seen. She was towards the far side of the room, having been the youngest of the babies. Kicking her little feet, she balled her fists. Edward was fairly sure she was making a noise but couldn't hear it through the glass...he could only hear the two who were having the worst days so far of their short lives. He leaned in to get a better look at 'Baby Cullen', hating that even if she wasn't his child, she didn't have a real name. That's when he knew. She turned her little head as if making eye contact with him and it was like seeing himself. Her eyes were his. Without a doubt, that little girl was his daughter. There wasn't a doubt in his mind, he didn't even need the test. _

_His mom stood there smiling with tears in her eyes as she waved to the little girl and Edward ducked away into the bathroom. Like a coward, he sat down in one of the stalls and began to cry. At first, he was still just teary eyed from being near the nursery and seeing his daughter for the first time. Then, the dam broke. He cried because he was happy. He cried because he was happy she was healthy. He cried because he was hurt by his wife. He cried because his daughter would never know her mother. He cried because he was scared. He cried because of the huge changes that were about to happen for him. No one would ever find out about this crying though-not the future wife he couldn't have even dreamt up, his mother who was there, or his best friend._

_When he was finally done crying, he washed his face, took a deep breath and went to accept his duty. He had made the competent decision to create this little girl and though he was going to do so in a way that was definitely not planned, he was going to do it none the less. She needed him to survive. She couldn't even feed herself. His mother and Rosalie could only help him so much and he knew this was his baby. This was not a baby meant to be taken care of by either of them. This was all him. From that day on, as he stood watching his mom make silly faces at his little girl, he vowed that no matter what...come hell or high water...he would protect his daughter._

Sitting outside of Tanya's house, he watched as Jasper helped Alice into the car to houses down. Reflecting on that day all of those years ago, he couldn't believe the bitch would sink this low. Realizing his scalp was going to hate him, he pulled his fingers from his hair and went to the door. Bringing his fist up, he knocked as loudly as he could and even to his hazy senses, he thought those knocks sounded pretty damn violent. When Laurent opened the door, he was actually glad it wasn't Tanya, he did trust himself around her—he wanted to kill her. Pushing past him to where she was standing in a doorway that lead into the room he spat out. "Where the _fuck_ is she?"

"Who...Kaley? I...why the hell would she be here?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Tanya! You send someone into my home and literally steal her away from me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey! I don't know what the fuck you're talking about..." Laurent yelled over him.

Ignoring the man, Edward didn't take his eyes from his ex."Was it him, Tanya? Did you send him to take her?"

"Edward, please! What are you telling me? Kaley was stolen?"

Edward stood there, his anger wavering into panic. If she didn't have her, who the hell did? "Don't fucking joke with me. I know you took her. You want this poor guy over here to think that we're in some fucked up custody battle...well guess what? You now lose. You don't take the child from the other parent! Surely you two would fucking know that!"

"Edward!" Tanya pleaded.

"I didn't steal that little girl!" Laurent protested loudly.

He wavered again, his voice became shaky as his anger gave way to fear. "Bullshit! Who else would have?" That was the million dollar question and he knew all three of them were wondering the same thing.

"I think you need to get off of our property before I call the police..."

"Laurent, no," Tanya commanded before approaching Edward and taking him by the shoulders. "I lied to you about the other guys. I lied to you about working late...I lied about a lot of things...I swear to you, I swear on my mother's life, I did not take have anything to do with this! Edward, please believe that I wouldn't hurt you like that! You have to calm down. Someone has her and it's not us..."

Edward watched as she actually began to tear up. "Then who does, Tan? Who? They came to my house and took her right from the yard..." Tanya looked just as stunned at the use of the way he said her name as he was, like she was an old friend, and not a hated enemy. "I have to go," he said, turning to leave.

"Where?"

"I have to find her..." he knew he looked pathetic, crying in front of his ex while her new boyfriend watched.

"Did anyone call the police?"

"Bella did. She's at home with Robby. They were there when I got home..."

"Alright, come on," she said, before turning to Laurent, "You too, let's go. Here are my car keys."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Edward asked, surprised and annoyed when she took him by the arm and pulled him towards the door.

"I'm taking you home to Bella. We'll check in with the police and see if they figured anything out and then we'll start our search."

"You're coming with me?" he meant to say that she wasn't, to be firm, but he figured the more manpower he had the better—and he knew she wasn't lying about not having Kaley. She seemed upset and genuine.

"You shouldn't be driving like this. Laurent can follow us and bring me home later in my car. Now, come on."

"Tanya Denali! I'm telling you that's who has her!"

"This woman is your husband's ex-wife?"

"Yes!" Bella had been through this already with the man in uniform and was starting to get irritated.

"She's Kaley's biological mother?"

"Yes! She's insane!" Bella was cut short by Rosalie coming in.

"Bella! Oh, my God! I heard on the scanner and I've been trying to call!" Rosalie cried, kicking off her furry boots and running upstairs to where she was still talking to an officer. The first cruiser was gone, out looking for her daughter. "Sweetie, are you okay? I mean, of course you're not..."

"Rose, I..."

"I can't believe Tanya would do this! I'll go over there right now and..."

"Hello?" Alice's voice sounded from the front door next as Jasper helped her into the house.

"Ally!" Bella said, standing up to hug her best friend. "I don't know what to do! I feel like I'm not doing anything! I should be doing something! If she's at Tanya's..."

The officer spoke before Alice could, "Bella, we need you to be here for calls that will hopefully be coming in..."

"Where's Edward?" Rosalie asked, walking over to sit beside Robby who was curled up watching tv with the blanket off of Bella and Edward's bed.

"I don't know..." Bella said, starting to cry again.

"Emmett's driving around looking for her. So are Esme and Carlisle. Bella, the guys from the station are all out there, too. We're going to find her."

"Where's Lily?" Bella asked quietly.

"With my dad."

Alice walked into the kitchen and looked down at the burnt soup that was left in it's pot. "What did you two have for lunch?"

_Three of us. _Bella wanted to say. "Um...we didn't..."

"Alright, I'm supposed to be on bed rest and you can't leave the house. So, we're going to force down some food, though I'm sure the idea is making you sick, and we're going to turn on the news and listen for any word of what happened. You have another little one to think about, Bells."

"Okay...yeah...Rosalie if you wouldn't mind...could you take Robby. Just get him out of the house. Get his mind off of things. Here, I'll give you money. Take him to get something to eat," Bella said, heading back to the bedroom to grab her purse.

"No," Rosalie said, refusing the money. "I've got it."

Bella explained to the cop who everyone was but there was one question he had asked her about ten times and it was the same question she had been wondering herself. "Where is your husband?"

Just as Rosalie brought Robby over to give Bella a goodbye hug. "Robby, look at me. Kaley is going to be fine. She'll be home soon. Aunt Rose is going to take you to get something to eat. I love you."

"I love you, too, mommy," he said quietly to her then touched her stomach, "bye baby."

Bella watched them leave and turned back to the cop. The sick feeling she was getting was almost overpowering and she worried she'd throw up again. "Mrs. Cullen, we have to look at other possible suspects..."

"I don't know who else would have done something like this!"

"Bells?" the velvet voice of her husband made her heart clench.

"Thank God! Where did you go? I needed..." her words were cut off by shock as Tanya Denali stepped into the house. "Where's my daughter? You stupid piece of..."

"Bella!" Edwards arms came around her as she headed towards the woman.

"This is Tanya Denali?" the cop asked, clearly confused.

"Yes!" Bella cried.

"She didn't do it!" Edward said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation.

Bella couldn't believe what her husband was saying. "Bullshit! Who else would have?"

"Bella, please, calm down!"

"I want her out of my house!"

"Okay. Alright!"

"I'm going," Tanya said to her before turning to Edward. "We're going to start looking. We'll call if we find her."

"You're just going to let her leave?" Bella asked the officer.

"I have..."

"Tanya, just go!" Edward said, obviously coming to a breaking point. Bella saw that she was already walking out the door as she peered around her husband. Starting to cry, Bella began to feel her husband's body heave and she looked up into this eyes. The agony she saw there ripped into her and if it wasn't for him holding her up, she would have fallen.

"Kaley wasn't taken by either of them, Bella," he began to cry. "I left because I thought...I was sure...they had her...and they don't. My baby is missing, Bells. I was supposed to protect her!"

"This isn't your fault!"

"Where's Robby..."

"He's with Rosalie," Bella sniffled.

"Why aren't you out there looking for my daughter?" Edward asked, turning on the officer who was obviously trying to give them their privacy.

"Mr. Cullen, we're doing everything we can right now. We've put out alerts, we have the whole force out there... I have some questions for you, though. Edward...can I call you Edward?"

"Dave, quit with the fucking pleasantries! My daughter is missing. She was taken. We went to high school together for fuck's sake! Spit it out!"

"I'm sorry, Edward. Do you have enemies? Someone besides your ex-wife who would have taken your daughter?"

"No. I mean, people know me and they know about my family...I don't know who would hate me this much..."

"What about the children you work with?"

"I was working on Darren and Josephina's son's case. I know your department was called out there earlier to arrest him..."

"Darren took off, Edward. They can't find him. There's a warrant out for his arrest but..."

"He's gone? He murdered his son!"

"We know."

"It has to be him..."

"Well, not only do we have people looking for him because of his son, we have the entire county...and surrounding counties looking for you daughter. I'm going to call and tell them to add Darren's vehicle description to the alerts."

Edward looked back to Bella. "This is my fault."

Bella let it go, knowing it was pointless to fight with him and just let him hold onto her as he fought another round of tears. Then, as if trying to clear his head, he stepped back, "Alright, alright, looks like Alice is done cooking and you need to eat. Masen needs to be take care of too, love..." Edward said to her quietly. "I'm going to go try to find our daughter."

"Edward, please don't do anything to get yourself in trouble...I know you have a gun..."

"Bella, he has my daughter, I'm not going in there guns blazing. I won't risk hurting her."

"I need you, Edward. Robby needs you. Masen needs you. Please, please be careful and please call me the second you get her back. God, I need to call my mom..."

"Go eat and take care of yourself."

Edward was gone and Bella felt sick again. The idea of eating the grilled cheese sandwich Alice made her wasn't helping. They turned on the local news channel and though some sitcom was on, there was an alert across the bottom of the screen. In Forks, things like this didn't happen. It caused her physical pain to see her daughter's name to be the one going across the screen. Then, of course, there was the picture that they would show periodically.

It was a picture from the day they had taken Robby to the fire station for the first time. Kaley was standing on the fire engine holding a helmet—Bella couldn't remember whose it was at the time. She had the biggest smile on her face and Bella knew Edward was the one behind the camera. Those smiles, while she had come close for Bella, belonged solely to the little girl's daddy.

"Bella, I don't understand...Edward's such a good person and he does so much for the community..."

"Mom, I know. I don't understand it either. It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense. I have to go, there's another call coming through."

"Okay, wait. Your father is doing what he can up here. They are even setting up checkpoints in case this guy tries to get through Seattle. I love you!"

"I love you, too." Hanging up with her mom, Bella saw that Esme was calling. "Esme..."

"Oh, Bella. Sweetie, I'm so sorry about this! We've come to a point where we don't know where else to look...do you need anything? Anything at all?"

"No." _My daughter._

"Alright, we're on our way over. Call if you need us to get you anything. How's Edward?"

"Pretending to be okay."

**Thanks for all of your continuing support and I'm sorry for the heart attacks caused by the last chapter. I also need to take a second to say thank you to the person who nominated me for the Emerging Swan Awards. Everyday Hero was nominated under the Best Family/Friendship category. I would love to know who did such a sweet thing, so if it was you, please let me know! Also, you should check out and vote for Everyday Hero if you haven't read it yet. It's a o/s but a very looooong one. I think the people who enjoy this daddyward will LOVE that one as well. Please, please check it out. There are also a lot of other stories to check out on the Emerging Swan Awards profile, so if you have time, head on over. I have never been nominated for anything before and this means so, so much to me! Thank you! Letzigprincess xx**


	63. Chapter 63

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**November Part III**

**Chapter 63**

Two hours later and there was still no sign of Darren or Kaley. Bella heard Edward before she saw him, he was breathing heavily and had slammed the front door. She heard him head back to their bedroom while she, Alice, and Esme sat in the kitchen by the phone...daring it to ring. The first bang chilled Bella to the bone. The second was enough to make her go investigate—Esme was right on her heels. Always being the protective mother, Esme stepped in front of Bella and pushed the door open. Edward stood with a bleeding fist and Bella could see from the hallway that there was a hole in the wall beside him.

"Edward..." Esme said quietly to her son, a man who looked like he could fall to the floor in tears at any moment.

"She's gone," he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "How has no one found him yet? There's no way his vehicle would have gotten out of town! There's no way he would have gotten out of the fucking state but no one's _found _him yet. I'm tired of standing here and waiting for her to come back! The detective said that if it was a case where the man wanted money, he would have contacted us already!"

Bella stood back against the wall and couldn't help but cry. She never should have let them play by themselves outside. "Mom," she heard him say, "I need to speak with Bella. Alone."

Wiping away her tears, Bella stepped into the bedroom and shut the door.

"I called Jacob..." he began.

"I didn't even think to call..."

"He's on his way down here to get you and Robby."

Bella's head snapped up, her mouth dropping open. "No. I'm not...are you..._insane_? I'm not_ leaving_ you!"

"You're pregnant. Robby is really upset. I also spoke to Rosalie..."

"Then let _Robby_ go with Jake. _I'm_ not going."

"Bella..." his voiced cracked.

"Do you see your hand? Or what about the wall? Did that make you feel better? Are you feeling better now that you gave up on our daughter and broke the wall?" Bella watched his face twist in pain at her words. She didn't care, she was aiming to hurt. "How can you do this to me?"

"I don't want anything to happen to our unborn child or to Robby."

"So you want to send me three hours away with someone who you have jealousy issues over and expect me to be better off? To be better while my husband is harming himself and our daughter is gone? Fuck you."

"Bella!"

It took her a second to somewhat regain her composure, surprised with herself that she had said that to him. "I have sat here doing nothing when I am the reason my daughter is missing! I was a good little girl, talking to the police and sitting beside a God damn phone while you were out there and I'm _not_ going to sit around in Seattle! _When _she comes home, I'm going to be here."

Leaning back against the wall, he put his hand up to pull at his hair. "I can't do this. I'm doing everything wrong."

"Baby..." Bella said more softly, stepping towards him.

"I'm just trying to make things easier on _you_! I'm scared that something is going to happen and I want to protect Robby but all I can think of is my little girl out there with a murderer and..." Bella went to him, pulling his arms so that they wrapped around her instead of allowing him to pull his hair out. "I can't lose her! Bella, I love you and I love Robby. I love and can't wait to meet our little son. I can't lose her, though."

"I know."

"I'd rather go through everything with Tanya again. The lying, the cheating...anything but this. Anything. I'd give my life to get her back..."

"Edward, stop..." pulling him with her, she sat down on the bed. "I need you. Do you remember that first day you held her? Seeing that little baby and knowing that you was all she had? Do you remember telling me that even though it's hard, you just do it. You find a way because you don't have a choice and neither does that child? If something happens to you, Robby is never going to trust anyone, you're like Superman to him! You know that. All the progress with him will be lost. What about Masen? Masen Anthony, the little baby we tried so hard for. It's going to happen again. You're going to be handed another newborn and you have to just do it. I need you to do it and so does Masen!"

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Now, stop this, please. I know you haven't eaten all day and you lips are blue. I'm going to make you something to eat and you're going to get out of these wet clothes. After you're comfy, I'll wrap up that fist of yours."

"I have to go back out there..."

"I'm not going to stop you. Just change first at least...and take some food with you...Kaley's probably hungry. She hasn't eaten anything since...since breakfast and..."

"And she's going to be okay. It's Kals, Bella. She probably thinks Darren's just playing..." Bella saw the dead look to his eyes and knew that he was trying to make her happy. She was pretty sure he knew he wasn't convincing either of them.

"It's supper time. You said you talked to Rose. When is she bringing Robby home?"

"Any minute now. I told her you were going with Jake."

"I'm not."

"I know."

"Do me a favor then. Just one. I want you to stay so that Robby sees you are okay and then you can go back out. Please. He's really upset."

Edward looked away for a few seconds before nodding his head. "If you aren't going to go with Jake, I want you to do me a favor. Don't tell Robby what is really happening. He's got the gist of it but he doesn't need to know that we still haven't found her."

"You want me to lie to him?" Bella asked in shock. She tried to not lie to the kids unless it was necessary or for their benefit but Edward was sometimes more honest with them than he should be. The only biggie he really kept was who Tanya really was to Kaley.

"Yes. He's been through enough..."

Edward was cut off by Esme knocking on the door and peeking in. "You two need to come out here. Bells, Alice and I finished up those missing posters but I'm pretty sure all of Forks is well aware of the situation."

Bella and Edward followed her to the front door and looked out to see just about every Forks resident around. The only one missing was Clair—who Tyler later informed them was at her place with their new baby girl. Bright orange posterboard held enlarged pictures of Kaley with information on them. It didn't take long to get search teams assembled. Unfortunately, the snow was coming down hard and everyone was at risk of frost bite. Esme went to the store to buy containers of hot chocolate mix while Edward changed and Bella help set up the teams.

She was just talking to someone who lived on the other side of town, two middle aged folks whose teenage daughter Edward had saved a few years ago, when she noticed there were also news crews set up outside of their house. There were a lot of people and it was freezing. Starting to realize she really shouldn't be outside like she was, she excused herself and attempted to get back to the house. A woman with a microphone blindsided her before she made it. "Mrs. Cullen, do you have time to answer any questions?"

"Um...I...I guess so..."

"What can you tell us about this morning? When did you know Kaley Ann was missing?"

"Uh...right as I was getting lunch ready, around twelve..."

"Where was she?"

"Here in the yard playing with Robby."

"Robby?"

"Her foster brother."

"And you allow them to play outside by themselves often?"

"No...I mean once in a while..."

"How old are they, Mrs. Cullen?"

The way the woman was firing questions at her made it seem like an interrogation more than an interest. She began to feel dizzy. "They're...they're in first grade..."

"Both of them? Both first graders were out here by themselves..."

"That will be enough for today," Bella heard Edward from behind her. "If you'll excuse us, my wife and I need to focus on getting our daughter back..."

"Your daughter? Together? I thought she was Tanya Denali's daughter..." the woman made it sound like a sneer. This wasn't someone from the local news.

"Not anymore. Look, I know what you're trying to do. My wife and I are nothing but worried sick over Kaley's disappearance and whatever you're trying to do...raise ratings or act like you know what's happening...you can give it up. While we look for our daughter, you can go back to the office and pull up some files. When you know the facts about my family then you come talk to me. You stay the fuck away from my wife. Will that be all?"

The woman looked taken aback and Bella allowed him to lead her away from the stunned reporter and into the house. The first group of people were heading out to search and the others were trying to stay warm for when it would be their shift. Bella was literally shaking and was holding onto to Edward's arm for support. "She's right..." she began, her voice cracking.

"It's not your fault! Listen, I don't want you talking to any more reporters until we've gotten Kaley back."

"I'm scared. It's already after dinner time..."

"Daddy?" they heard a little voice call from ten feet away by the front door. Immediately, Edward and Bella forced smiles and turned to him. Kneeling down like he always did, Edward held out his arms and Robby ran to them.

"Hey, buddy. Did you have fun with Aunt Rose?"

"Yeah..." he said, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay, buddy. We're all going to be okay. Why don't you go upstairs with mommy and get some hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, bud," Bella put in, "go ahead up to the kitchen and I'll be up in a minute okay?"

Bella could see it in the little boy's eyes. He knew Edward wasn't going to be there much longer and it terrified him. She watched him give a small nod before walking over to Edward and throwing his arms around Edward's legs. "I love you."

Edward went down on his knees again and pulled the little boy to his chest. Pulling away, he held onto the little boy's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I love you, too, Robby. I need you to stay with mommy and help her take care of herself and Masen, okay? I'm going to go keep looking for sissy. I'm gonna bring her home, buddy. That's why I'm leaving. I have to go get Kaley."

Releasing Robby, he reassured him before watching him go upstairs. Bella looked totally white and he grabbed her hand to get her attention. "I'll be home later. If you need me you call. Go get something to eat and try to rest. You've been on your feet all day."

Watching Edward leave that time was even harder than the first. Bella forced herself upstairs and when she got there, peeked outside. The snow was laying on the roads now, driving conditions were getting bad. In fact, this would probably have been one of those nights where Edward would be at the station until dawn helping with car accidents. "You okay?" Alice asked, handing her a cup of hot chocolate and wrapping an arm around her.

"No. Things are bad. This is bad. This is the worst day of my life, Alice. I'm not just saying that."

"I know."

The door opening and closing had become normal for her and she learned to block it out. Chills ran through her as she realized that the kidnapper could be anyone. It was possible they were just falsely assuming it was Darren. "Bella?"

The familiar, safe voice nearly brought her to tears as she looked up to see Jake. "Jake! Oh, God. I should have called you! Edward talked to me and we both are just really upset and I need to stay here..."

"I know," he smirked. "I tried to tell him that but he's a bit stubborn, isn't he?"

Bella rolled her eyes and watched as Robby ran over and hugged him before saying, "So you drove the whole way here knowing full well I wasn't coming back with you?"

"That's right, Swan..."

"Cullen," Bella corrected, faintly smiling for the first time in hours.

"Fair enough. Have you heard anything at all yet?"

"No. Everyone's out looking for her, though. I don't really know what to do. I feel kinda...lost..."

"I know that feeling," he snorted, sitting down across from her at the kitchen table. Robby was picking at his sandwich and Bella tried to force hers down.

"Hungry?" she asked Jake.

"Always."

Grabbing another sandwich that Alice had prepared on the counter—she, Esme, and some of the other women were outside with the crowd, Bella handed it to him. "Ally made them. They're delicious."

Jake, with a pained expression, saw that Robby was still very, very upset. While they ate, they both tried to cheer Robby up. It wasn't until Jake brought up funny stories from their childhood that he got Robby to smile. Bella even found herself laughing, for literally a second, before jumping up from the table and leaving the room. Going into her and Edward's bedroom, Bella closed the door and leaned against it. She knew her friend was trying to be nice but this was wrong. Masen kicked just then, as if agreeing with her. She shouldn't be happy like this, she shouldn't be okay with the fact that it was okay that Jake was sitting across from her, helping her son eat. It wasn't okay that the person doing so wasn't Edward. It wasn't okay that Kaley wasn't there.

She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt with large pockets and when it began ringing, she wiped her eyes and looked around before realizing she had the house phone in her pocket still. So quick to answer that she almost dropped it, she got the phone into the right position and prayed for a miracle. "M..Mrs...Mrs. Cullen?"

Straightening up immediately, Bella pushed away from the wall and held the phone closer. "Speaking."

There was an audible sigh on the other end. "Mrs. Cullen! I have her! I have Kaley! I don't know where to take her..."

"Who is this?" Bella demanded, immediately angry. "Who the fuck are you?"

"It's Jospehina! Your husband was in charge of... I don't have time to explain. He's going to find us!"

"Who?"

"My husband, Darren. This was his idea and I wanted to run away but I heard his plan and couldn't let something happen to your little girl! I couldn't save my baby..."

Getting irritated, Bella asked, "Where are you? Where's my daughter? I'll come now..."

"We're in a cab. Darren wanted to leave the state. I talked him into going to a motel, just for the night. He was tired. Last night he..." the woman cried harder and Bella knew already what had happened. Darren was tired because he had killed the baby the night before.

"Okay, listen, come here. Do you know where we live?" Bella immediately felt like an idiot for asking. They had taken Kaley from her home, of course this woman knew where she lived. Wanting so badly to ask why the hell the woman went along with it, Bella ignored the urge. She just wanted Kaley, then she would get her answers.

After getting off the phone, Bella flung the door open and ran out to look for the kind officer who had stuck around with her. "She's on her way! Darren's wife just called! She has her and she's bringing her here!"

Alice, Jake, and Robby all broke out in smiles as the officer looked like he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Let's go outside and break the news. I'll call the other officers and have them round up the search teams."

Bella stood anxiously beside the officer as he made the announcement and meanwhile, she called Edward. No matter how cold the group around and inside of her house was, they all seemed to not be phased by it as soon as they heard Kaley was coming home. She couldn't wait to tell Edward and waited for him to answer. When he did, he sounded...broken.

With Edward on his way, Bella leaned against siding of the house raked the area for any sing of this strange woman or Kaley. While Bella wanted to get mad, to get in her face, she knew from what Edward told her that things truly weren't right and wrong. This woman could have hidden from Darren but she didn't, she only went along with this to try to help a little girl she didn't know. If the woman had done it out of malice and then rethought it, that wouldn't make sense. She was abused and afraid just as much as Robby...and Bella wondered if the woman had anymore of a choice.

Edward didn't want to cry in front of Robby. He was already disappointed in himself for losing it in front of Bella. He was also regretting having called Jake, it was a dick move. He figured that out pretty quickly. The idea of losing another child made him physically ill and the idea that it could lead to him losing his wife made him unable to breathe. In one day, his entire world had come crashing down. If he didn't find Kaley soon, he didn't know what he would do. Bella was right. His family was relying on him.

He felt his phone buzzing away in his jacket and grabbed it, praying someone found her. Putting it to his ear, he pulled over. It wasn't like there was a particular destination he was heading anyway. "Anything?" his ex-wife's voice asked. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to depress his pounding headache.

"Not yet," he replied, unsure of what to say to her. He had been debriefed by the officer who was staying at the house with Bella of what Robby had told them. Shortly after the police got Bella inside, they sat down with the scared, little boy to get what he saw happened. The officer said that with Robby's anxiety, it was hard getting any answers from him. All he told them was a car stopped and the man inside told Kaley to get in. At that point, Robby said he went to get mommy and when he opened the door, he saw them leave with her. Having heard Bella and Edward's lecture on not going anywhere with strangers a million times, Robby had immediately known it wasn't right. Edward just couldn't understand why Kaley thought it was...which made him believe she wasn't given a choice.

From what he knew, it wasn't Tanya. That didn't mean that her betrayals over the years didn't fight his logic that she was innocent. "I heard people are setting search teams up and holding a vigil for her at your place..."

"Tanya," Edward knew he had to at least say this part, "I need you to not go to the house. Bella is there and this is enough stress on her. You give her no reason to trust you and because of that, you don't deserve it. Just stay away from our place. I have to go...she's still out there."

"I don't know where else to look," she said quietly.

"I don't either."

"My mom gets along well with your wife, right?"

The way she said 'your wife' really pissed him off. "Yeah..."

"She wanted to stop by there. I'll tell her it's alright."

"I think that would be nice of her. She did call me once today, I know she and Eli are out there looking."

"Yeah, you're parents are good people."

Hanging up, Edward tossed his phone onto the seat and let out an annoyed, desperate grunt. He understood what Tanya meant, he didn't know where else he could possibly look. Just about to pull out his phone rang again. It was Bella. "Edward!" she cried, and he held his breath to hear what she had to say.

**This chapter was a toughy but I hope you all enjoy it. I spent a lot of time on this one. I hope I was able to answer some of the question some of you had through the chapter. I now have a twitter account letzigprincess. I am using it exclusively for fanfiction and I may post a few quotes for the next chapter as I'm working on it. Also, I have a blog under construction but don't really have a clue about what I'm doing with it lol When I get it up and running, I'll let everyone know! Show me some love and I'll keep updating :) Love ya lots, LP xx**


	64. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 64**

Bella found herself creeping closer and closer to the end of the sidewalk. Eventually, she was almost on the road. She prayed that the woman wasn't lying and that Darren wouldn't find and stop them. All she wanted was to have Kaley safe with them at home—if it didn't happen, she worried desperately for her husband. Feeling like she was on autopilot since she had spoken to Josephina, Bella realized that her daughter—who may or may not be really shaken up, was about to come home to this insanely large group of people. Even the news crews were still there.

For the first time, Bella turned back to the house and was surprised to see the crowd gathered outside was starting to thin. Jake, Carlisle, and Esme were all thanking people and seeing them to a few of the cars that lined the street. Many of them had walked, those who had driven were sent out first since they had vehicles. Of course, the news people weren't going to leave them alone but at least they could blow them off and just take Kaley directly into the house. People knew now that they needed their privacy and Bella had no idea how to repay everyone's efforts.

Her eyes filled up with tears and as she blinked, she noticed her husband's Jeep coming down the road. There was still no sign of the woman or Kaley. Each time she opened her eyes, he became clearer. Soon, he was out of the car and his hand came to rest on their baby. "I love you, Bella. I'm sorry for all of this."

That's all it took for her to tear up again. That was him. He would always blame himself, even when it was her fault. She didn't have time to dwell on it, just as he asked her where Robby was—and she told him Jake was taking care of him, she saw an old beat up car coming towards them. Bella knew instinctively that her daughter was in that car. Edward literally started to run for them, Bella literally waddled through the snow. It was a blur then. All Bella knew was that Kaley Ann Cullen was home.

As Edward pulled the back door open and then pulled his daughter from out of the car, Bella saw a woman sitting inside, tears streaming down her face. She didn't take much time with the woman and came to stand behind Edward, who was kneeling down and had Kaley wrapped in his arms. He was holding her to him, his face not giving off a hint of anything. "Did we get the baby yet?" Kaley asked, looking up at Bella, no fear on her face at all.

A smile the size of Texas immediately hit Bella as she began to cry. Falling to her own knees beside her husband and taking Kaley in her arms she said through tears and a smile, "No, baby. We were waiting until you got home."

Bella looked over at Edward, who was kneeling with his eyes closed as if in prayer. Turning back to Kaley, Bella asked, "Are you okay? Do you feel okay?"

Kaley gave her little shrug, "I'm cold. Can I have some hot chocolate?"

Edward broke from his stance and picked up his daughter, helping Bella to stand. As he walked towards the house, Bella looked at the woman, "Please, come inside."

As if she had no other option the woman nodded her head and followed. They walked silently passed everyone, Bella now sobbing, not only for her joy from having her daughter back but also for the despair she felt over what the woman behind her had gone through. The news people were watching them, no one making a move to get them to say anything, no one asking questions. The silence was eerie to Bella. Everyone but their close family and friends had gone home. Edward more or less ignored them and took Kaley straight down to her bright orange bedroom. Bella wanted to get hot chocolate for Kaley and when she went downstairs, she saw Esme and the officer talking to the distraught Josephina.

Bella found Edward sitting on the bed with their daughter in his lap as Carlisle sat at the edge of the bed asking questions. There was also another police officer with them, taking notes in the corner of the room. There was no sign of physical wounds on Kaley and Bella knew Carlisle would check her over well once everyone calmed down a little. The officer took the coat Kaley was wearing, also asking Edward for the rest of her clothes once they were taken off. They needed evidence to link Darren to the crime. Bella also heard the officer ask Edward if he wanted to press charges against Josephina, even though the state could decide to do so with or without his wanting it.

Bella saw him shake his head. "Officer, I know things look bad but Josephina Teresa is a victim. I've dealt with her and Darren for months now and she didn't stand a chance. I've told people about it but she wouldn't leave him..."

"Sounds like she could have..."

"I don't want to do this in front of Kaley. Bella..." he said, looking to her. Walking over she sat down on the bed and took the little girl carefully in her arms. As soon as she smelled Kaley's shampoo, a fresh round of tears came and Bella closed her eyes, not wanting Kaley to see them.

"No," Edward said, shaking his head at the officer who he had followed out into the hallway. "This woman was basically sold to him. Do you know how old she is? Barely old enough for Darren to not be tried as a sexual predator. He brought her here from Miami. She told me once the only purpose she had was to have his babies."

"Are you sure that _Mrs_. Cullen feels the same way?"

Edward's blood began to boil. "She didn't know Jospehina and by the way, she's the one that invited the woman in just now. I'm not putting an innocent woman in jail when she's been kept as a prisoner for her entire life. In fact, jail would probably be a walk in the park for her after what happened with Darren..."

"The baby that died, you were the social worker?"

"His name is Joshua and yes. I was. I had the child removed from the home awhile ago and was never told they got him back until recently. I had other cases at the time, I'm trying to build up leave for when the baby comes, and my case load was more than full. Another person was assigned to the case but Darren intimidated her and they ask me to go back to them. Officer," Edward looked him in the eyes, trying to plead with this man he didn't know—he wished Dave was there, a man he'd gone to school with and knew fairly well, "I got my daughter back, this woman lost her son forever. Darren was not only the one who took Kaley but he murdered his baby. He deserves a firing squad."

Bella twirled Kaley's blonde curls around her finger as Carlisle asked questions to his granddaughter. At first, they were what she expected. "Do you know the man that you went with?"

"No."

"Did he try to take Robby too?"

"No."

The next was painful for Bella. "Kaley, sweetheart, why did you get in the car with him?"

"He said daddy was in trouble..." she began to cry now and Bella rocked her—almost grateful that Edward wasn't there with them at the moment, "he said he could take me to help him."

"When you were in his car, was he nice to you?"

"Yeah but he was mean to Jo."

"Do you mean Jospehina? The woman that brought you here?"

"Yeah."

"Did he try to hurt you, honey?"

Bella braced herself for Kaley's response. "No. When we went to the place with the red doors he told me I had to be quiet...or he'd hurt daddy."

Bella sat up then, looking at the officer. "I know what motel that is!"

"We know, too. There was a whole squad sent there already to get him."

She sat back, not knowing how she'd missed this but figured Jospehina had probably told them where he was when they got into the house. "Kaley, what happened with the man at the place with the red doors?"

"He made us go inside and Jo was happy but then he told her she had to sleep on the floor and wouldn't give her a blanket..."

"Where did you sleep?"

"He made me stay with him on the bed..." Kaley had tears on her face. Bella felt sick. Looking up to the heavens, she prayed the little girl wasn't put through something no little child should ever have to deal with. Suddenly, she felt the weight on the bed shift as Edward put his arms around them both and they all stared at Carlisle, as if it hurt too much to look at each other. Bella could feel how tense...angry...he was. Kaley was his baby girl, she knew he wanted Darren dead.

"Kaley, did he do anything before he fell asleep?" Bella could only imagine what Carlisle was going through having to ask this.

"No. I didn't want to go to sleep, though! I wanted to save daddy!"

Bella and Edward both let out a breath and then Edward asked what she meant by that and she told him. Edward obviously didn't want to make the little girl feel dumb, so he didn't tell her he was at the office and not in danger. This new, reserved Edward worried Bella. This was yet another big thing he was going to keep from his daughter. Bella was just grateful that Kaley didn't seem fazed at all by having to be in bed with Darren. She could tell from her daughter's response that it really wasn't that big of a deal to her.

"Alright, Kaley," Carlisle said, "enough questions. Come here, sweetheart."

The little girl gave her little smirk before climbing over and hugging her grandfather. "I love you, little bug."

"I love you, too, pappy!"

Moments later, Bella heard Rose, "Lily, get back up here!"

The little girl ran into the room seconds later and just like that, their quiet moment was over. "Can I play with Lily?" Kaley asked Edward. After getting a nod from Carlisle and then from the other officer, Edward let her run off.

"I'm sorry," Rose said, poking her own head in as the two little girls made their way out.

"No, it's fine," Bella replied, pulling herself up off the bed.

"Um...I wanted to let you know that Robby won't come downstairs but he's been asking for you two."

With a sigh, Bella headed back upstairs.

The rest of the evening was quiet. As the kids played, the adults discussed what would be done next. Josephina was still there, telling Bella and the other girls her story. It was hard to hear but very interesting. The guys had a few beers but it was only a matter of time before Jasper and Emmett had to leave due to a car accident...it wasn't surprising...the roads were getting worse by the minute. They offered to drop Josephina off at the shelter and soon after Carlisle and Esme left, dropping off Alice on their way. Jake, against Bella's protests, left shortly after.

After everyone left, Bella saw that the kids were fine and Edward was working on a puzzle with them. Heading into Masen's room, she sat on the glider and closed her eyes. Her body felt drained and her back hurt. She noticed that her ankles were really swollen and couldn't help but cry. Her hormones were everywhere and as she rubbed her hands over her tummy, feeling her little son kick, she couldn't help but cry even harder...just because.

Her eyes opened when she heard little Robby asking from the doorway, "Mommy? Why are you crying?"

Soon, Edward and Kaley joined him. Edward set Kaley down and told them to go finish the puzzle after Bella didn't respond. Kneeling down in front of her, he took her hand. "Love, you need to rest. Please just let me get you into bed."

With Bella, Kaley, and Robby all passed out on his bed, Edward watched them. He knew he wasn't going to sleep that night and the nightmares would be back. There was so much he needed to do for work, this would be the perfect opportunity to get it done, but he couldn't leave them. He couldn't even just go downstairs to his little office area. The idea of being away from Kaley physically hurt.

The house was dead silent with only the sound of the whistling wind blowing against the outer wall of the bedroom. For the first time all day, he was able to collect his thoughts. First, he tried to cope with the memory of walking up those stairs that morning to find the dead infant in his crib. The next, an idea he truly couldn't cope with, his own daughter taken from him by the man who killed that child. Jo explained that Darren wanted to use Kaley to barter with Edward. His fucked up mind actually thought he could bribe Edward into saying he saw Josephina strangle the baby. The man was obviously unstable and had serious mental problems.

Leaving his sleeping family, he walked into the dim-lit kitchen and pulled a bottle of Scotch from the locked cabinet and grabbed a glass. Plopping himself down at the kitchen table, Edward looked outside as he took his first gulp—ignoring the unused glass...and the burn. He knew the roads were bad, driving on them earlier had been horrendous. He knew the other guys were either sleeping at the station or out on a call. Tonight, they knew better than to call or expect him to respond with them.

He felt sad but was done with tears. Taking another swig of the warm liquid, he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He remembered when he was younger and Carlisle would come home late, toss the hospital pager onto the kitchen table, and grab the Scotch. Carlisle drank it and that's the only reason Edward and Bella even had any. His father was not a big drinker, in fact, it was rare. It was just something Edward always kept at the house. Never would he think that he'd be drinking from that bottle...directly from that bottle...on a night when men he considered brothers were out risking their own lives for the the lives of others.

Another swig. Standing up, he wondered the house, bottle in hand. He thought of his ex-wife and how fucked up it was that she was his daughter's biological mother and had to be told by her own parents that her daughter was found safely. The feeling of anger hit him as he thought of those nights as a graduate student, waiting for his wife to come home to him instead of being out with his friends... finding out that she had been going home with them. Bella once asked him if he had any big lawyer friends, particularly ones that could help with Robby or the divorce. He explained that there were only two he would even talk to after all the stories that had flew after he found out about Tanya. In a small graduate school class, Tanya had been rumored to have slept with seven of the the eleven guys. She had met them at parties through Edward.

Halfway done with the bottle now, he sat at the top of the stairs that lead down to the front door and put his head in his hands. Bella was right. The little boy they had prayed for would arrive in a matter of months. The reality of having to make sure he had time for his wife and children while working to help other people was overwhelming. The station wasn't the problem, that was family. Bella had told him many times that even if he wasn't a firefighter, they would still have to be at the station every other night just to spend time with their friends. He knew she worried about him but that she also considered it as their way of life.

The issue was his actual job. He loved what he did but swore to himself that once the baby came, he'd take his paternity leave and the vacation he built up but after, his case load would remain minimal...at least it would go to that when Bella returned to work. The two of them together fared well enough that if he cut back, only working his regular forty hours a week, they'd still be fine. He was scared for Bella, though. He knew she was becoming anxious about the labor and decided to call and talk to Renee the next morning, hoping she'd come visit and maybe discuss the things he didn't really understand but knew Bella had questions about. He knew it would put his wife more at ease if it came from her mother.

Birthing classes were starting that next weekend and he was excited to see how everything would pan out. They were going to do it with Jasper and Alice and Edward was thankful Bella had her best friend to turn to. Edward's mind wondered to her other best friend. He hoped Jake had gotten to Seattle safely, he hadn't called them, though Edward figured he may have left a message on Bella's cell. He hated himself for the jealousy that broiled in his stomach when he thought of Jacob. Bella didn't deserve it...and he knew Jacob didn't either. Another gulp, this time he swished it around in his mouth, letting it warm his tongue and the inside of his cheeks.

The warmth on his tongue reminded him of his wife. His beautiful Bella. While she was younger than him, she was the foundation of their family. Her heart and soul went into everything she did, whether it be teaching a class of thirty children or loving the children they were raising at home, she was the one who put all of her time and energy into being an amazing wife and mother as well as helping bring in extra income. Now, she took on all of this as she prepared to bring another child into the mix...along with carrying that child.

Since she had come into his life, she held him together. While there were a few times when it was stressful on her, he knew it was more of a comfort thing. If she was close by, even if she was just standing there holding his hand, life was better. There were times when they were called on to help each other through tough times, times when she would be at a breaking point and he'd come through for her or times when it was just the opposite. She was strong, sometimes they both had to be. Looking down at the near empty bottle in his hand, he knew she was stronger than him. The idea nearly killed him. He was her husband, her lover, and he should be her protector. He now wondered who was truly trying to protect who.

Standing up, he briefly considered sitting back down, the whole room was now spinning. Squinting towards the wall clock, he just barely made out that it read ten til midnight. He had drank the bottle in less than an hour. With the realization that he had fucked up, that his pregnant wife could very well need him to drive her if an emergency arose to the hospital, self loathing hit him hard. In his drunken state, he was too ashamed to go back to his peaceful family.

Empty bottle in hand, he stumbled around the house, bracing himself on the walls as he made sure every door and window was locked. He tripped going up the stairs...twice. Now, he looked in and saw Bella sleeping with one arm around each kid and her little belly pushed out in front of her. Sliding down the door frame, Edward leaned his head back and let the alcohol numb him into sleep.

A little boy standing at the front door of the house, screaming for her, was deafening to Bella. Even in her dreaming state, the cries for her were becoming hoarse and made her skin crawl. Something was wrong, really wrong. Forcing her eyes open, Bella realized she wasn't dreaming the desperate pleas. Sitting up immediately, she pulled Kaley towards her and looked around for her son. Robby was standing in their bathroom screaming. He also wasn't screaming for her like he had less than twenty four hours ago, he was screaming for his dad.

Kaley was awake and Bella felt that the little girl was tense and looked like she was going to cry. The little girl looked around frantically and Bella figured she was looking for her father as well. After a few more seconds than she would have liked—she just wasn't moving around like she used to be able to, she reached the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she watched as Robby first backed away from her but upon hearing her voice, ran to her.

"What is it, baby?" Bella asked the boy who she still felt could be a little bigger than he was for his age. Edward just kept telling her that as malnourished as he was, it made sense that his growth was a little stunted.

"The man that took Kaley said that daddy was hurt..."

Bella was tired and confused. "Robby, why are you so upset? Your dad is here at home. Why don't you let me tuck you into your own bed, okay?"

"No!"

"Alright, come back and sleep with me and sissy then."

"I want dad..."

Bella wondered where Edward actually was. It was after midnight, both kids were now up, and her husband was nowhere in sight. "I'll go get him if you go into your room and get into bed. I'll send him in."

Robby nodded and Bella bent down to kiss his forehead. "Goodnight, buddy. Daddy is safe. I promise. I'll tell him you want tucked in."

After Robby nodded and said he had to go to the bathroom first, Bella left him his privacy and went to get Edward. With his strange sleeping habits, Bella assumed he was downstairs working at his desk but when she went to step out of the bedroom door, she nearly fell over him. He was on the floor with a bottle of something in his hand. Terror struck her as she quickly grabbed his wrist, checking for a pulse. When she was satisfied that he wasn't dead, she shook him in an attempt to wake him up.

He stirred a little and that was enough for her. Standing up, she shut the bedroom door so the kids wouldn't see him that way and strode to the kitchen. Grabbing a pitcher and filling it with cold water, Bella did what she had seen in all the movies. She dumped it right over her husband's head. He came awake with a start, the water dripping down his wet hair. "Bella..."

Kneeling down, she got close to him and said, "I need you to get up and go out to the living room. You slept through your son screaming for you...I have to go lie to him and say you are sleeping out there. Come on."

He stood unsteadily, "Bella, I'm fine. Where's Robby?"

"In our bathroom."

Pushing the door open, Edward looked in. "Daddy!"

Robby rushed out of the bathroom and flung himself at Edward. Bella watched, ready to stop her husband if he tried to pick up Robby. "Buddy, it's fine! Everything's fine!"

Bella heard the words slur together and saw Robby actually take a step back. This surprised her, it's not like Edward was being overly obnoxious, he just had trouble getting the words out. "Robby..." Bella went to ask him what was wrong and then Robby saw the bottle sitting by the opened door. Robby wasn't stupid. He knew the bottle meant something not so great.

She watched as Robby stood frozen, staring up at his father. Edward went to approach him, obviously on shaky legs but once again not overly drunk. "Robby, come..."

This time, Robby pulled his body away from Edward's as if he could be burned by him. "No."

Kaley, who up until this point had been watching from the bed with wide eyes, only slightly more confused than Bella, now strode over to Edward and hugged him. He bent down to kiss her forehead but Robby reacted in a way that no one expected. Grabbing his sister's arm, he yanked her away from Edward. "Robby!" Bella scolded, reaching out to see if Kaley was okay.

Edward stood in shock, looking as if he wanted to cry. Beyond tired and completely surprised, Bella motioned Robby to follow her. Once they were in his room, she awkwardly knelt by his bed. "He hit the bottle."

Bella had never heard that phrase come from a child's mouth before. "Where did you learn that?" she asked, trying to hide her smile, it was obvious he was still upset.

"Caleb used to say it. He used to say, 'Dad's hitting the bottle again'."

"Robby, did your dad do that a lot?" Her smile was completely gone now.

Robby pulled the covers up further and nodded, "I don't like those bottles. They made him hurt us sometimes..."

"Robby, did you think your daddy now would ever hurt you?"

"He sounded like my old daddy did. Sometimes, he'd yell at me to do stuff and I couldn't understand and he'd get mad..." Robby began to cry now and Bella took his hand.

"Robby, can I tell you a secret? Something that only adults know?" He nodded again, watching her carefully. "Sometimes when adults are really, really sad they drink something called alcohol. That's what's in those bottles. What's in that bottle your daddy had tonight isn't something that will make him hurt you. I promise you that."

"Is daddy mad at me now?"

"No, baby. I think daddy is a little mad at himself but definitely not at you. Why don't we all get some sleep and you can give him a big hug and kiss in the morning, okay?"

"Goodnight, mommy."

Bella closed his door quietly and saw that her bedroom was empty. Peering down the hall to the living room, she noticed all of the lights were off. Assuming Edward took Kaley to tuck her in downstairs, she picked the empty bottle up off of the floor and carried it to the garbage. Finally getting a look at it, she was surprised to find that it was the bottle which was kept for Carlisle—who she had never seen drink it. A bottle that was completely full earlier that day when she got a little vodka out because Emmett wanted it.

She tossed the bottle into the garbage and headed off to find Edward, wanting to make sure he wasn't passed out somewhere. That's when she saw them. Edward was passed out, his chest rising and falling steadily. Bella knew this because their little girl was sleeping on his chest. Every time he took a breath, she was lifted a little. Thinking back to the picture of Kaley as a baby, lying on her exhausted father's chest, Bella teared up. This was just too ironic after the day both of them had been through. A father who almost lost his mind looking for his daughter and a daughter willing to risk danger to save her father who was supposedly in trouble.

Grabbing a blanket, Bella covered them both and kissed each one on the cheek. She had every right to be mad at him, and she knew that come morning they would have a long talk, but for now Kaley and Edward both needed this. Tonight, Bella knew Edward needed that numb, warm feeling more than he needed many things. His daughter was one of the few things, though, that he would never be able to live without.

**Hoped you liked it! The next chapter should be updated later this week. I'm going to continue with this point in time but may jump ahead another month or two in a few chapters. Yay! Kaley is home safe! Please review and give me some motivation! Love you all! Don't forget, I'm on twitter now. letzigprincess :) LP xx**


	65. Chapter 65

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 65**

"Mommy? Can I have ice cream?"

Bella opened her eyes to see Kaley inches from her face, staring at her. A smile broke across her face as she looked at her daughter, safe at home, and thought maybe the past twenty four hours was just a terrible nightmare. With a sigh, she looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was seven o'clock in the morning. "Um...no," she yawned.

"Daddy won't wake up."

Bella sat up quickly. "What do you mean he won't wake up?" Her dream of it being a nightmare went right out the window.

"I asked him if I could have ice cream and he told me when he wakes up I can have some so I tried to wake him up but he won't..."

Bella relaxed. "Kaley, your dad is still half asleep. You don't need ice cream right now. What about some pancakes?"

"Fine..." the little girl pouted, slumping her shoulders and walking out of the room.

Bella laughed to herself and made her way to the kitchen. As Kaley announced, Edward wasn't awake. He was definitely breathing, though. In fact, his snoring was loud enough that Jasper and Alice probably heard it on the other side of town. "Can we play outside?" she heard Robby ask behind her.

The painful memories from the day before hit her. "No, buddy, not today. Why don't you go work on your puzzle with Kaley?"

"She always does it by herself. She doesn't like to share!"

"You tell her I said she has to share. She knows the rules."

"Okay..."

While the kids went to work on their puzzle, Bella went to work on breakfast. About the time the sausage started to sizzle, the snoring stopped and she watched Edward stride towards their bedroom. As soon as the food was cooked, she went to find him but turned around when she got halfway down the hallway. The sound of retching came from their bathroom. She would let him deal with it on his own. Knowing better than to ask Edward if he wanted breakfast, Bella rounded up the kids and quietly they ate. Eventually, the silence was broken by Kaley.

"Today is Monday."

"It is..." Bella said hesitantly.

"We have school, mom," Kaley said, not talking back but definitely trying to act like a grown up.

"Well...um..." she was unsure of how to respond to that. After yesterday, Bella figured Kaley wouldn't want to go to school the very next day. She figured they all needed a break.

"Amy Tressler is bringing in her pet hamster for show and tell today," Robby added.

Bella looked back and forth between the two of them. Neither of them were acting like they were really phased by the day before...or the night before for that matter. "Well, do you two _want_ to go to school today?"

"Yeah!" Robby said and Kaley nodded excitedly.

Smiling at her kids, Bella couldn't have been more proud. Glancing at the clock she saw that they would only be about fifteen minutes late if they got ready to go now. "Alright, guys, finish your breakfast and we'll get going."

After arriving at the school and walking the kids into their perspective classrooms, Bella stopped in the office and saw Irina. The woman had become a friend and confidante outside of the department. Someone who had a fresh perspective. "Hey, do you have a minute?"

"Of course, Bella. What's up?" she asked, tossing her reading glasses to the side and leaning back in her chair.

"A lot..."

"I can't even imagine what yesterday was like for you..."

"Edward took it worse. Irina, I'm scared for him."

"You have a right to be but remember, he has every right to be going off the deep end a little here."

"I know...I know he does. Last night, he drank a whole bottle of Scotch. That's not normal."

"Neither is having your child kidnapped."

"So you think it was a one time thing?"

"Do you?"

"I honestly don't know. I mean, I try to let Rose and him alone. You know, kind of not nag him about being so open with her. I didn't realize until he started talking to Dr. Kramer that I feel sort of out of the loop with him. Dammit, Irina, he's my husband!"

"Well, tell him how you feel, Bella."

"He doesn't need me dragging him even further down though. I mean, in the past, I know I've messed up. I panic sometimes and call Rose to come talk to him. This is my fault that I'm not the first person he comes to but it hurts."

"How do you know you aren't?"

"I...I guess I don't."

"Bella, look, I'm not going to sit here and try to counsel you..."

"I know you're busy. I'm sorry. I'll call Dr. Kramer..."

"That's not what I meant. I mean that I'm not trained in adult psychiatry. It's not my forte," she smirked, "I'm saying this to you as a friend. Children are resilient. Look at Robby. Kaley I'm sure is fine considering she wouldn't be in school today if she wasn't. It's the adults that have trouble coping. Some turn to friends, some to therapists, some to...well...some turn to the bottle. In this case, it was a bottle of Scotch. The trick is, it can't become a habit. Go home, Bella. Spend some quality time with your husband and try to piece each other back together. You owe it to your kids."

"Thanks but what if that doesn't work? Irina, there's so much going on right now. We just aren't on the same level we used to be before the pregnancy and having Robby live with us..."

"Then you call Dr. Kramer's office and go with him."

"Like marriage counseling?" Bella's face twisted in a look of unease.

"No. Like 'helping each other' counseling," Irina said, raising an eyebrow and shrugging.

The drive home was short, too short. There was so much Bella needed to think about. The drinking absolutely could not become a habit. From the examples of Alice's biological parents and Robby's, Bell refused to let her kids go through that. She had seen other times when alcohol would literally rip families apart...even families who loved each other.

Something that she had come to realize was that she had backed herself into a corner. There were times she had called Rose and she now regretted not manning up and trying to help her husband herself. She knew what she had to do. If not for Edward, then for herself.

Pulling up outside the house she pulled out her cell and decided that Irina was right. They were going to get through this by helping each other. Gritting her teeth, Bella found the number for their son's doctor in her contacts. "Dr. Carolyn Kramer's office. This is Maggie. How can I help you?"

"Um...yes...hi, Maggie. This is Isabella Cullen..."

"I'm so sorry to hear about what happened! We were a few of the first to go out looking for her."

"That means a lot."

"Are you calling about Robby? I know we usually set you guys up for meetings once a month..."

"Actually, I was calling about Edward. I was wondering if..."

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm sorry. I can't give any information to you concerning his sessions..."

"I just wanted to see if there was a time we could come together. I don't want to interrupt his regular time with Dr. Kramer but maybe there's a time right after?"

"Um...well...Mrs. Cullen..."

"Please, just call me Bella."

"Bella, have you spoken to Edward about this?"

"Not really why?"

"Well, I mean..."

"Look, I'm not asking you to cancel his appointment! I just need to make a time after his where we can talk together. When is his usual time?"

"Bella, he doesn't have one." The way the girl said it made her sound as if she were guilty of something.

"So it changes?" Bella asked, confused about what was being said.

"No. He doesn't have one because he hasn't been here in almost three months..."

"What?" Bella gasped.

"I would be happy to schedule you both in sometime..."

"No, that's alright. Thank you for your time, Maggie."

Hanging up, Bella stared at the phone in her hand, in shock over what the girl had told her. Edward legitimately needed those sessions. When she had met him his anxiety had been through the roof and while she noticed he wasn't sleeping like most people, she never imagined it was because he'd stopped seeing his therapist. Unbuckling her seat belt, Bella headed into the house to find Edward sitting on the little bench by the door. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Where the hell have you been?" he shot back.

"I took the kids to school..."

"School? I thought we agreed last night to let them stay home today!"

"We did. They didn't _want_ to stay home. Edward, if they don't have a problem going, I wasn't going to discourage them."

"You could have at least told me you were leaving!" he said, standing up.

"You were asleep on the bed. I didn't want to wake you."

"Then a note..."

"What's this about? What? You thought I left and wasn't coming back?" Bella asked sarcastically.

Edward became silent. She snorted, "Should I have left and not come back?"

"Of course not! I just thought...after last night..."

"What _did_ happen last night?" she asked quietly, trying to calm down. She didn't want to make things worse.

"I was upset."

"Drinking a whole damn bottle of Scotch doesn't make people happy. It makes them do stupid things. Do you even remember what happened with Robby?"

"Like what?"

"Like him pulling Kaley away from you because he thought you were going to hurt her."

Edward just looked at her for a good many seconds before shaking his head, "That's ridiculous!"

"No. Not to him it wasn't. You slurred your words when you were talking to him last night. His father used to slur his words. When Robby didn't understand him, he was punished."

Edward immediately became concerned. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. I explained that not everyone gets mean when they drink alcohol but I don't know if I really got through to him."

"I'll talk to him."

Kicking off her boots, Bella made her way upstairs, knowing Edward was following her. "You can have Dr. Kramer talk to him about it. In fact, you can make him another appointment next time you go for one of yours. Speaking of...when is your next appointment, Edward?"

Guilt flashed across his face before he looked away, unable to make eye contact. "Yeah...I...I have an appointment next week sometime..."

Bella had already shrugged off her coat and was cleaning up the kitchen table. Setting a dish she just washed in the strainer, she put her hands on the counter and rested against it, leaning her head back in frustration. He was lying to her now. Masen kicked his tiny feet against her and she suddenly felt emotionally tired. "That's funny because according to _Maggie at Dr. Kramer's office_, you haven't been in to see the good doctor for months."

Her eyes bore into his now and he couldn't seem to look away. It was the same look Kaley was caught with often when she got a cookie and she knew she wasn't supposed to have one until after dinner. "Bella..."

"Unless you're about to apologize, don't even start that sentence."

"Let me explain..."

"There isn't an explanation for this! You _lied_ to me. Where _were_ you when you told me you were at your sessions?"

"What are you trying to accuse me of here? You think I'm being _unfaithful_ to you?"

"No one said anything about _cheating_. Funny you bring it up," Bella responded dryly.

"Oh, come on!"

"Where did you _go_, Edward?"

"To the station, okay! Sometimes, I just need time to myself. I'm trying to spend time with you and the kids but sometimes after work I need to just de-stress on my own!"

"In other words, you run to Rosalie."

"Jesus, Bella. Do you hear yourself?" he asked, putting his hand out in disbelief.

Shaking her head, she pushed past him and made her way to the bedroom. "It's true though isn't it?"

"Bella, I am sick and tired of this fucking conversation. You sound just like Tanya!"

"Fine, then. We won't have it."

"Why would you call Carolyn's office anyway?"

"_Dr. Kramer_ was called because I wanted to set up a time for both of us to go. I wanted to try to be there for you more. I get it now, though. You have _Carolyn_ and Rosalie to help see you through. Lucky you."

"That's not fair."

"Six weeks, Edward..." Bella stated, biting her lip.

"What are you talking about?"

"We haven't been together... that way...in six weeks."

"We have two little kids in the house, one of which sleeps right next door, and you're six months pregnant with our third."

"Those two little kids didn't stop us before I got pregnant."

"You're always so tired. I worry about you! Bella, I've asked you a few times to take some time off...at least until the baby is born..."

"And do what? Sit at home by myself all day? Then it'll be more easy for you to get a hold of me and say you'll be getting home late..."

"I'm going to say it once. Get it through your stubborn head. I. Am. Not. Sleeping. With. Anyone. Else."

They both stood there, then, staring at each other. Neither knew what to say until finally, Edward spoke again. "I'm going out for a run...I need time to think."

He looked at her with the eyes of a failed man and then left, closing the bedroom door behind him. Tired of crying and pretty sure she had reached her quota of tears for the century, she waited for the front door to close before putting on a thick sweater, her coat, and sliding her boots back on. With her cell phone in hand, Bella breathed in the crisp winter air until her lungs stung from the bitter bite. She walked slowly, her arms protectively wrapped around her tummy.

Reaching the playground, Bella leaned against the wooden fence and watched a group of teenagers, probably skipping school, hanging out by the basketball court. There were few people out, probably because the three feet of snow on the ground hindered the playground equipment. It felt good to be alone...to clear her thoughts. She was truly surprised by the fact that she and Edward's 'discussion' had turned out as badly as it did.

Her cell phone ringing broke through the crisp air and with mittened fingers, she managed to answer it. "Hello?"

"Bella?"

"Ally, what's wrong?" The tone of the girls voice told Bella something was definitely up.

"Jasper's really pissing me off. Wanna meet for lunch?"

"Isn't he at work?"

"No. The guys were at the station most of the night. He called off today."

"Um, sure. Where do you want to meet?"

"Where are you now?"

"At the park..."

"In all of this snow? Did you keep the kids home?"

"No, they wanted to go in. I'm by myself. Edward and I...well, we can exchange our stories over lunch..."

"Alright, I'll pick you up there in about ten minutes."

Edward jogged almost a mile...though to be honest he walked at least half of it. It felt good to be out in the cold air, despite his God awful head ache. No doubt, that was due to his little binge the night before. It was only a matter of time before Bella found out about his not going to counseling. Carolyn, thankfully, had not pushed matters and stayed quiet about it around Bella. They always met with her to discuss Robby's progress but she never mentioned his sessions...or the lack there of. At least not to his wife.

One reason he had quit going was that he simply didn't have the time. Another dealt with the fact that it was hard enough talking about Tanya to Bella, it was especially painful to have to tell the story to someone he barely knew. Carolyn seemed to believe that most of his emotional problems and insecurities stemmed from how she treated him and their ill-fated marriage. These particular sessions usually left him drained and even more upset than when he went in.

He also knew something else that Bella didn't know. He had hardly spoken to Rosalie for almost a month. Around everyone, the two of them acted like things were normal but things were anything but. A few weeks before Bella's shower, Rose had called him in the middle of the night. Of course, he got up quietly and went into the living room, not wanting to wake Bella. At first, he thought maybe it was a call but realized the alarms weren't going off. No, this was a personal call. Once again, she and Em were on the rocks. She wanted another baby.

He eventually got her to calm down but the next day she called again. This time, Emmett was mad at _him_. Apparently, he was yet again accusing her of what Bella had accused Edward of less than an hour ago. Tired of hearing it, he was honest with her. He explained that it wasn't fair to Bella that he talked about personal things with Rosalie all of the time. Once in awhile, it was fine, but not about everything. It was different in high school, they were all the other had. Now, they were both married. It was what Bella had been trying to tell him for years now and he finally realized their relationship wasn't working this way. Now, he and Emmett were better than ever, but he knew Rosalie was holding a bit of a grudge.

Then of course, Bella was right about the sex. Well, not totally right. It had actually been five weeks and four days...not that he was counting. He wanted to give her the space she needed and when she looked ready to drop at the end of the work day, he just wanted her to rest. It took them a year to conceive Masen and it terrified him that something could cause her to go into labor too soon. He had been completely faithful to her during this time. When it came to that area of his life, no one held a candle to his wife.

He couldn't tell her that the form her body had taken during this pregnancy only amped up his attraction to her. He couldn't tell her that he refrained from spooning her in the morning because he didn't want her to feel his overly excited little friend. He couldn't tell her that every morning, he'd have to take care of himself in the bathroom while she slept in the next room. He didn't want her to worry about taking care of him in that way, she was doing more than her fair share by carrying his son.

Now, though, he felt like he failed her, failed his marriage. What kind of husband leads his pregnant wife to the conclusion that he's cheating on her? In his book, infidelity was always the deal breaker. He could forgive lying, he could forgive spending a lot of money, he could forgive just about anything as long as being unfaithful wasn't one of them.

Bella had asked him if he thought she had left him this morning. While he had hoped to God it wasn't true, he had been worried. There was so much being thrown at them and he had no idea how to make it all stop. All he knew was that he wanted Bella forever...and it terrified him to think that forever seemed like such a breakable word.

**The next update will be in a few days! As always, your support astounds me! Please keep reviewing! LOVE, LP xx**


	66. Chapter 66

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 66**

"Please explain to me how Jazz can take off days every other week after being on long into the night yet he can't pull off more than three days for paternity leave. Someone? Anyone?"

The two girls sat at a booth with a little bit of everything spread out between them. It was only eleven in the morning. "Did you talk to him about it, Ally? Jasper doesn't seem like the type of person to miss out on something like that if he had a choice. I'm sure he's just as upset as you are..."

"I just sometimes wonder...ya know...if things would be different if..." her voice trailed off and she bit into a muffin rather guiltily.

"He wasn't out being a super hero?" Bella finished for her knowingly.

"Yeah," she agreed, setting down her fork. The department ran smoothly because the guys were closer than brothers. None of the wives wanted to question or even consider what it would be like to not have to deal with it anymore. Now that it was so paramount in their lives, it was hard to think about things without it.

"Enough about me," Alice put in, changing the subject before it could really be discussed. "What's up with you?"

"What's _not_ up with me..."

"That bad?"

"Edward drank a whole bottle of Scotch last night. Sometimes, tragedy brings families closer together but after what happened yesterday, it feels like things are just falling apart. I know it was a stress thing. I know he felt guilty about it..."

"I didn't even realize you two were having problems."

"It's just a bunch of little things adding up. Do you know what I learned today? He's been lying to me about going to see Dr. Kramer. Al, that hurt worse than just about any thing bad he's done towards me since I met him."

"He actually lied about that?"

"I called today because after seeing what a mess he was last night, and after already feeling like we're drifting apart, I wanted to maybe try to do counseling with him. When I called they told me he hadn't been there in months. Al, there were nights when he said that was where he was at."

"Did you confront him about it?"

"I asked him where he was and he said the fire station. He's been lying to me."

"So, do you think he's like...I don't know...ya know..."

"Cheating on me?" Bella spit out for her.

"I just...Bella, it doesn't even sound right to say. I can't even fathom the possibility of Edward doing that. Why would he?"

"Do you see me, Al? He was never with Tanya during the the time she was pregnant. At least, not when she was this _big_. Our sex life used to be phenomenal. Now, it's been a month and half since we've been intimate at all. What does that say?"

Alice went to say something but closed her mouth and sipped her tea. Setting her cup down, she tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "Do you remember when you first moved out here? Do you remember the first time you told me you were dating someone five years older than you and that he had a two year old daughter?"

"I thought your eyes were going to pop out of your head. You hated the idea."

"I did but do you know why?"

"Why?" Bella asked, crossing her arms and wondering what this had to do with the present situation.

"I wanted you to be with Jake."

"Alice," Bella gasped, "what are you trying to say? Jake and I will never..."

"I saw, though, that you and Edward were meant to be together. I went against Jake's feelings and supported you and Edward because I knew that he loved you. Jake and I actually got into a bit of a fight over it. I knew, though, that Edward loved you more than Jake ever did...ever _could_. I also know he loves you still and we both know his thoughts on cheating. He knows better than anyone else what it feels like to be betrayed that way. Do you really think he would put you through that when he worries so much about you and the baby? Bella, sweetie, I love you. You know that. I just think that you are stressing about a new baby coming."

Starting to tear up, Bella pulled apart her napkin. "Al, put me in your shoes. What if this were Jasper?"

"I'd feel the same way you do...probably...but it would be unwarranted. Bella, I have no doubts that he loves you unconditionally. I just have to ask, do you still love him?"

Bella was floored that Alice would even ask her that. She stared at her best friend in shock, unable to form words. "If you're asking if I want to be with him still...I can't believe you would ask that..."

"Then you need to go home, Bells," Alice said gently. "If he went for a run, I'm sure he'll be back by now."

Edward got to the station, expecting everyone to be at work, so he was surprised to find Tyler sitting in front of the big screen tv watching some comedian. "How's Kaley?" Tyler asked as soon as he walked through the door.

"I guess she's alright. I mean, I don't think she really understood the severity of what went down yesterday. Bella said both of the kids wanted to go to school today."

"You look like shit."

"You don't exactly look so great yourself, Ty."

"Nah, I'm just taking a long needed breather. Clair and Tessa went to Clair's parents house to visit for the day. I decided to hang out here. Why the hell are you here anyway?"

"I needed time to think. Bella's really mad at me. I'm afraid she's considering leaving..."

"Like a divorce?"

The word made Edward sick. Seeing Bella's name on those papers Tanya had been begged to sign was more than he would be able to deal with. Ignoring Tyler's question, Edward responded, "I fucked up."

"Please, I'm the king of fuck-ups. You name it, I've fucked it up. Babies give you a serious head fuck, man. They look so tiny and innocent...all smelling like baby powder and baby shampoo...really, though, they make grown men act like they're babies themselves. I was so freaked out when Clair first told me she was pregnant...I can't imagine what she went through all that time. Knowing you'd have to do the hard work at the end of the nine months...man, I'd hate to be in Bella's shoes right now..."

"She thinks I'm cheating on her. This isn't about Masen."

This seemed to surprise Tyler and he looked over at him. "Woah. What?"

"I guess I deserve it. I quit going to therapy sessions with Carolyn and told Bella I was still going..."

"Carolyn? You mean that tight little blonde that McCarty claims is a genius with emotional shit?"

"That's the one."

"Dude, you realize you're on a first name basis with your shrink?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

"I heard Bella's been venting her problems to some guy Clair says is in his mid twenties with a perfect smile. Apparently, Bella calls him Mark but Clair usually refers to him as Mr. so and so..."

Edward had never been told about this and looked at the straight-faced Tyler. Was his wife really going to someone else about her problems? Was she really close enough to this man to call him by his first name?

"Relax, I completely made that up. Sucks doesn't it?" Tyler smirked.

"Fuck you," Edward replied, clearly annoyed.

"But you get my point?"

"Fuck you," Edward responded again, this time in a defeated voice.

"Thought so. When you're ready to quit being hypocritical you should go back home and talk to her."

"Did you have sex with Clair when she was pregnant?"

Tyler looked confused by this. "Yeah...I mean...when we didn't hate each other... when things were good we did. I just kind of let her take the lead. Actually, the pregnancy hormones kept her ready to go for most of the time. I'd wait until she initiated it and then let her have her way. We both won. Why? You and Bella aren't...doing it?"

"No. I just don't think she'd want to."

"Have you asked her?"

"Well...no..."

With a sigh, Tyler shook his head and went back to watching the TV. "Well, I think you should. No wonder you're so damn cranky lately. Go home, Edward."

Sitting in the kitchen while he waited for Bella, Edward went over in his head what he wanted to say. First, and foremost, like she had wanted earlier, the first thing out of his mouth should be an apology. He would apologize for lying to her and for the night before. He was probably only gone for about an hour, it was now going on twelve thirty. Getting impatient, he made sure there was no messages for him from her. Her car was still there but she was nowhere to be found.

Calling her cell, there was no answer but he left a message. "Bells, give me a call when you get this. At least let me know where you're at. I love you."

He no sooner put the phone down and walked into the kitchen that it rang. "Bella?"

"I'm sorry, I ended up going to eat with Ally...and I'm on my way home."

"We need to talk. I'm sorry, Bella. I know that I messed up but you have to believe that I would never cheat on you..."

"We'll talk when I get there."

Edward wondered what that meant for the next fifteen minutes until he heard a car outside and then the front door opening. Seeing Bella walk through the door made him feel a hundred times lighter. He didn't say anything, just pulled her into him, coat and all. He didn't know what to say, wondering how they'd even gotten to this point in such a short time. "I wouldn't want to live life without you, Bells."

"We really need to talk. Give me a minute, though, okay?"

"Bella..." Fear began to creep into the pit of his stomach. He wondered if this time he'd have to play the big card. He climbed up the stairs and sat on the couch, waiting for her to join him. Five minutes later she was back and he decided to say it. It was painful, words he had never imagined speaking. It would ultimately pull him away from his brothers. Unable to look at her, he ran his hands through his hair and blurted out, "I'm leaving active duty."

When nothing was said, he looked up to see his wife staring at him in shock. Her mouth was gaping open and he swore he saw her take a breath to say something but couldn't get it out. Finally, she managed to speak, "I don't understand."

"I'll talk to James tonight. I'll stick around for fundraisers and..."

"Who are you?" Bella said, a look of pure confusion and something he could only read as partial disgust written on her face.

He was taken aback by her reaction, having expected excitement, or at the very least, support. "I just think that we're going through so much right now..."

"Why are you doing this? Because of me?"

"Because of us..."

"No," she said shaking her head. "God...what's happening to you? The person I married hardly drank. He was a father first, a firefighter second, and the man who fought passionately for love. A man who would never tell a lie, an older man who I handed my heart to and trusted him not to break it. A man who knew the meaning of biological family and didn't give a shit to admit it! Those men who you ride into danger with nightly are your brothers. They are your family. They are our children's uncles, your mother's sons, my brother in laws. You are not walking away from them because you think it's the answer to_ us_."

"You forgot something, Bella. A big something. The whole damn reason I know this little thing we have going on with Station 88 isn't working. You. I love you. I want you. If all I had was you and my children...fuck...we could be living in a little apartment with no cable...I would still be happy."

"I knew who you were when I married you! The department, Rosalie, the pending return to law school, your daughter, all of it! It was who you were and I'll be damned if I let you throw any of that away because of me. Things have been modified a little but you can't just quit being...you. It's like you aren't fighting anymore, like you're giving up..."

"I don't want to give up!"

"Then stop trying to! In just a few months we're going to have a newborn to care for. Dammit, Edward, I need you to fight!" She was crying now and he wanted to throw up. He hated himself more today than he did last night.

"Okay, you need to calm down, Bella. Please, come sit down." He knew if he didn't back things up and start this conversation over again, nothing would be resolved. She rolled her eyes and plopped down beside him. "First, I'm truly, from the bottom of my heart sorry for lying to you about therapy. I never should have lied to you and I swear to you I never will again."

"It hurt. I know it might not feel like it but it was helping you. When you started to go, you were sleeping through the night. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to never wake up from a nightmare and have someone to go to? To always wake up alone?"

"Bells, I'll call her now. I'll set up an appointment..."

"I owe you an apology, too." Edward looked at her, curious to hear what she was going to say. "I did this to us. When I was a wreck over things, even before we were married, I got scared. I would be the one to call Rosalie to come help you. I never gave you the chance to distance yourself from her and now look at us. We never talk. When we do, we just get irritated with each other. It's not good enough. Not anymore. So, I confess that I'm responsible for not being the one you come to first and I want that to change."

"I worry about talking to you because I don't want to overwhelm you. Rose and Dr. Kramer are just there for an open ear. I deal with a lot of shit, Bells. I see a lot of things that would make some people physically ill to think about. I never want to put that on you."

"Well, I really would like to go with you to your sessions. If not during the actual session, then after..."

"I'm pretty torn up after, Bells. That's part of the reason I quit going."

"Then let's go together. I can be there for you. We're husband and wife. We're supposed to support each other."

Edward thought about this for a few moments, trying to imagine sitting across from Dr. Kramer and telling her about the latest child he found dead in a burning building or the dreams he has of finding his wife and daughter dead. Then, he realized that having her there holding his hand made his heart feel not so heavy and that maybe it could help him. "Alright, you can come with me. We'll call and set up an appointment."

"Good."

"I have something else that I need to tell you. Rose is really upset with me. Like, not talking to me, really upset with me." Bella looked straight ahead and he was sure she had some mixed feelings about that. "Rose wants another baby..."

"What does that have to do with you?" Bella answered quickly...harshly.

"Bella, please," he sighed before continuing. He relayed the problems with Emmett and the inevitable bit of falling out that had happened between himself and his childhood best friend. When he was done, he just watched his wife, silently urging her to say something.

"Well, to be honest," she said carefully, "I'm kind of relieved...but...that doesn't mean it's right. You really need to talk to her. I'm sure she's hurting."

"I don't want to make her think, though, that it's okay to go behind Em's back and come to me about stuff like this. I see why he was so upset when she told him she was pregnant the first time. I get it."

"You still need to talk to her."

"I will. Just give me time to talk to Emmett first."

"Deal."

They were both silent and he knew Bella was collecting her thoughts. Finally, he took a deep breath and decided to get this one out on the table as well. "I have another confession to make." Bella must have been able to tell something he didn't want to admit was about to come out of his mouth being that she took his hand, as if to give encouragement. "I hate when you leave...when you leave and I don't know where you are. Like both times today. It scares me to think that something could happen to you and I wouldn't even know about it...or that I did something to make you leave..."

"Edward..."

"I don't want..."

"Is that why you decided to tell me you were leaving the department? You thought I'd leave otherwise?"

"The way you came in, like nothing I could do could change things for us..."

He became slightly annoyed when Bella tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. Pulling her hand from his, she pushed her hair back and shook her head. "Edward, I wasn't trying to blow you off. I just really had to pee. Your son has a strange hatred for my bladder..."

He reacted in a way that this time surprised himself. It started out as a snort but soon turned to a chuckle...then an almost-giggle...then it turned to full on laughter. Soon though, as Bella watched in concern at his crazy behavior, he burst into tears. He felt like a child and wanted to kick himself for being so weak.

Feeling Bella squeeze his hand harder, she continued to let him cry, as if not knowing what to do. First, she slid closer. Next, an arm was put around him. "You don't deserve this, Bella."

"Do you have any idea how many times you've told me that in the past? I swear it was your motto for the first year of us being together. How many times did it deter me?"

"Not once," Edward said, shaking his head.

Bella kissed his cheek and she was sure he could feel her smiling against his skin. There was one more topic that she wanted to bring up but she didn't know how to say it. "Um..." he was still upset and she knew he felt awful.

"Say what you need to say, Bells."

"I'm...I want to be with you."

"You're my wife, Bella. You're the only one who can change that...I couldn't..."

"No. I mean...like be with you, be with you. Like..."

"Sex," Edward finished for her. She blushed harder. What kind of idiot struggled with telling her husband that she wanted laid?

"Yes."

"Bella...that's yet another apology I owe you. I'm just scared that I'm going to hurt you...or Masen..."

"You won't," she said with conviction.

Pulling her with him, they both sat back on the couch and she cuddled into his side. It felt good, feeling his body close to hers. "I'm worried about us, Bella."

"Why did you really want to leave the department?" Bella asked, looking up at him from where his head rested against his arm. She said it as if it sounded suspicious. Deep down, she knew it killed him to tell her that.

"I...I didn't...I don't. I'll do it, though. To free myself up a little so that I can be home with you more." Her stomach felt funny when she thought about him leaving the group of guys that had become her family. "Bella, please tell me what you think."

"I don't want you to do it. Edward, this is our life. I want you safe, more than anything, but you and the guys are the reason other people are safe. Robby wants to be just like you when he grows up and Kaley grew up with the fire family. When I first met you, I was hesitant about it but I get it now. I wouldn't have agreed to marry you if I didn't respect it. I knew it was your life and I also know it's something you hold close to your heart."

"I hold _you_ close to my heart," he said, looking down at her.

"Then you're not giving _either_ of us up."

"Bella, if Masen comes and things become too difficult, you tell me or I'll say something to you. Either way, I want you to understand that you and the kids are the most important thing in my life. I'm sorry if I ever made it seem differently."

"You're a good person, Edward. I think you just lose yourself when you try to help others. I know we're important to you but you sometimes lose us when you lose yourself."

"I have a question. Something that's been bothering me...and I really took a step back and looked at the whole Rosalie situation," he said, taking a deep breath. "Why did you encourage me to talk to her instead of to you?"

Bella didn't know what to say. Allowing the question to linger, she wondered how to put the answer. "I could tell when you were feeling lost. I've...I've gotten used to it over the past few years and because she was in the picture long before I was, I felt awkward trying to keep you two from 's like, you'd lose it, and it was usually at a time when I was losing it as well...and as much as I hate to admit it, she always knew what to do to fix you. I just didn't want you to be in pain but sometimes it was just too hard..."

"I try to not let my relationship with her interfere with us."

"I know. I also love that you are so helpful with the kids. Baby, they think you hang the moon. That means more to me than you spending time with me. I've got Ally and a whole fire department full of friends to turn to. Sometimes, though, I wish more than anything you'd be there for me more. Don't get me wrong, I love that you take Kaley out once a week. I love that when you get home from work, as long as there isn't a call, you take care of them and give me a chance to get things in order. It's also a plus that you cook and clean...I just sometimes miss you. Sometimes, I'm selfish and want you all to myself."

Her voice became quiet towards the end as her husband pushed her hair behind her ear and she could feel his breath on her cheek. It had been so long since they were this way with each other. Her train of thought vanished. "I'm right here, Bells."

Straining her neck, Bella managed to reach his lips as he brought them down to meet hers. Chastely, his lips brushed hers and she suddenly felt a hunger for more. It didn't feel right, though. A thought that worried her but when he didn't push it, she decided to let it go. Sex wasn't going to solve their problems. She was just about to pull away when he pulled her back. "Hey, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"We have until we have to pick up the kids..."

Biting her lip, she felt the urge to jump his bones, but emotionally it still didn't feel right. "I'm sorry. I...can we just not...right now?"

Though he looked a little dejected, he recovered quickly and said, "Well, then, what do you say we work on Masen's room?"

**Hmm...are things fixed? Another update should be happening in a few days :)**


	67. Chapter 67

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 67**

Together, Edward and Bella went to pick the kids up from school. He could tell she was tired considering they had spent almost three hours unpacking gift bags and boxes. They had pulled down the large box of clothes he'd kept from Kaley, taking out the neutral outfits such as white onesies and anything that could be reused for a boy. While Bella got to work on washing everything in baby detergent, Edward put things together the way he remembered how it was when he had brought Kaley home.

The changing table's little cupboard was now packed full with diapers and the drawer held baby powder, wipes, pacifiers, extra white onesies, and many other things he knew would come in handy. It was weird for him, with his second child on the way he felt prepared and like he knew what he was doing—as much as any parent could feel that way. When Kaley was born, he had no idea what he was doing and felt completely not ready and overwhelmed. He had planned to do this with Tanya, his supposedly loving wife, and he had been excited for it. When things went south with her, he felt like he had something taken from him. The first few years of his child's life should have been the best time of _his_ life, for the most part they were, but this time around he felt that he was getting his chance to take care of an infant with his loving wife at his side.

The part that made it sort of weird for him was that while he was at ease, his wife was terrified. This would be her first baby...possibly her only—which was a topic they hadn't really discussed. All he had said was that he didn't want to be too much older when they started to try...neither had discussed how many they would be trying for. When it was just Kaley, things were different. Now, they also had Robby. Bella had a natural talent when it came to caring for children and he knew once the baby was here, she would do wonderfully. He worried about her giving birth and the overwhelming first couple of days afterward, though. He knew he'd really have to be there for her and his new son.

He had just finished putting the mobile together when he saw her standing in the doorway holding a laundry basket full of freshly laundered and folded baby clothes. "Bells, let me get that..."

"I'm fine. I'm not made of glass," she said with a small laugh. He watched as she walked over to dresser and began organizing the little outfits. He noticed that instead of excited or even happy, she just seemed depressed. They worked on their own projects in the same room silently before he walked over and pushed her hair behind her ears. There were hidden tears.

Their discussion had gone well but he knew that there were still miles to go in righting what they had now to what they once had before. She was trying to hold it together and his fears were now confirmed seeing her looking so upset. "What's wrong?"

"Oh...I'm just...I guess hormonal..."

"Bells, what's really going on? Besides the hormones?" he asked, knowing something was definitely not okay.

"I love you...you know that..." Bella began after almost a minute of silence. Edward felt a knot start to form in his stomach as he waited for the inevitable 'but' to that sentence. "But something doesn't feel right..."

"Are you sick?" he asked, playing dumb when he really wanted to grab her and not let go. This wasn't about her health, at least not her physical health.

"No, nothing like that..." her voice trailed off and she went back to stocking the dresser. That's when he knew what needed to happen. She needed time...away from him. For fifteen minutes, they loaded the rest of the dresser in silence, he wished he could just open his mouth and say that it would be good for her to spend some time in Seattle but try as he might, he just couldn't quite do it.

Bella, as if she had finally built up the courage said, "I kind of think that it would be nice if I went to stay a weekend or something with my mom and dad. I...need some time."

He took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright. Yeah. I understand..."

"I'm not trying to walk out on you..."

"No. I know. You should spend some time with your family before the baby comes..."

"Do you want me to take Kaley with me? I hate leaving them."

"I don't think we should separate them right now, not after yesterday."

This was hands down one of the most awkward discussions they'd ever had. "Yeah...okay. When do you think would be a good idea?"

"Soon. I'm not trying to keep you from Seattle but the further along you get, the harder it's going to be. I'm already not totally comfortable with you driving there by yourself."

"Okay...I'll call my mom. See if this weekend is okay. I'll leave after birthing class."

"No. Not when it's dark..."

"Then you can take me down yourself and drop me off. I'm sure we can find someone to keep the kids..."

"I don't want you down there without a vehicle..."

"My parents each have one and dad uses the patrol car most of the time. If I absolutely need to, I can ask..."

"Jake," he finished her.

"That's not fair," she said quietly. Shutting the last drawer, Bella shook her head.

Grabbing her shoulder, Edward stopped her. "I'm sorry...I'll...we'll work it out, okay? Why don't you go call your mom and see if it's okay. I'm just worried about the road conditions at night. I'll drive you down and like you said, there's plenty of people who would be able to help you out..."

"I'm not going there to see Jake. I'm going there to see my family and think things over. It's not fair that just because he lives beside my parents that means if I visit them it means I want to see Jake."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Now, standing in the lobby of Forks Elementary, he stood with Bella and waited for the kids to be released by their teachers. It took only a few minutes before the lobby went from mumbles of tired parents to stampeding kids. "Mommy!" both kids ran over and hugged Bella. It was nice seeing them like this with her. Usually when he saw them with Bella, she had already gotten her excited hellos. The kids were used to having her around and by the time he got home, they had been reunited with her for a good couple of hours and they were just happy to see him for the first time since getting home.

Kaley asked if the baby came but didn't wait for an answer when she noticed Edward there and flung herself at him. Robby stayed back a little more today than normal and he reminded himself that he really needed to sit down the little guy and talk to him about the night before. While Robby smiled up at him, he accepted that as his greeting and gestured for them to head out. While Kaley rambled on excitedly about a pizza party, Robby silently held Bella's hand and for the millionth time, Edward wished he knew what the little boy was thinking.

He liked the fact that Bella seemed much more upbeat now that she had the kids back and he felt guilty about how things had turned out for her this past summer. He knew she was frustrated about having to enroll them in daycare because she was too sick. The reason they had wanted to have kids at a young age was because they wanted to have the ability to go out and do things with them. While he knew that she loved Masen from the moment she knew she was pregnant, he hated that she was struggling so much with the pregnancy. Regardless of what the doctors kept telling him, he felt that there had to be a biological reason she had so much trouble getting pregnant and with how sick she was he couldn't possibly believe that she was going to deliver without a problem.

Bella was young, physically active, very healthy, and as far as the doctors were concerned if it weren't for her low sugar she wouldn't be a risky case. In his opinion, because of all the problems she was having and already experienced, there was a high risk that something else could go seriously wrong. It worried him that she would be three hours away from him but he knew that this was something they both needed. He had no idea how they were going to break it to the kids, though.

An hour later, Edward helped Robby up onto a bench seat in the big red fire engine. He decided to take Robby out of the house and it broke his heart to see his son acting like he was afraid of him. Now, though, Robby seemed to be relaxing a little. "Robby, why don't you tell me what you think about last night."

This was a hard question for a little boy to answer and as Robby mulled it over in his head, Edward wondered if he'd be able to find words. Finally, the boy spoke, "You drank from that bottle and when daddy's drink from those bottles, people get hurt sometimes."

"Did you think I was going to hurt you?" Edward gulped, not knowing if he could handle Robby's answer.

Robby shrugged and looked straight ahead before saying, "Mommy would have gotten mad at you then."

If this were a conversation about any other topic, Edward would have laughed. The kid was right. If he ever laid a hand on any of his children, Bella would have his balls. "Buddy, I know you had things that weren't good done to you. I know your other dad wasn't nice and he hurt you a lot. I may do some of the same things that your other dad did, like drink alcohol, but that doesn't mean that I would hurt you. I love you and would never want anything bad to happen to you. Do you understand that?"

Robby nodded and Edward put an arm around him, taking note that Saturday he should take the little boy to get a haircut, it was getting long again. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"I like that you don't hurt me." Edward didn't know what to say. How the hell do you respond to something like that? Instead of words, he did what any child who had been denied affection for almost his entire life deserved, he held him tighter.

"So, guys, I was talking to Grammy Esme today and she told me that her and pappy just bought a couple new sleds," Bella began at dinner later that night. Both kids seemed to be excited so she continued, "Mommy and daddy have some things to do to get ready for the new baby and I thought it might be fun if you spend time with them after school on Friday. What do you think?"

"Can we have hot chocolate?" Robby asked, as if that could make or break the deal.

"With marshmallows?" Kaley put in.

"I bet grammy and pappy can arrange that..."

Bella took a bite of her salad and looked over at Edward. He was being a trooper about things and she was trying to make things as easy as possible on him. The call to her mom had been pretty short and sweet, for months her mom had been trying to get her to come visit anyway. When she told Renee that she was coming without her children or her husband, her mom's concern was evident by the tone of her voice.

After hearing that it was okay, Bella and Edward decided that he would drive her there after their class, which ended at six. If all went well, they could make it to Seattle sometime around nine. Edward was going to stay the night, mainly because Bella was scared of him driving so late after such a long day, and he'd leave first thing the next morning because he was going to do training with the younger guys around lunchtime. A part of her was excited that they'd get away for a brief amount of time without the kids and she had even wondered if maybe that was the problem between she and Edward. She realized, though, that it would be hard being away from them just for a couple days—whether her husband was on the trip with her or not.

Bella still felt that something wasn't quite right with her marriage. Her mind kept going back to the situation with Rosalie and it made her wonder if the falling out was due to a little more than what he'd told her. She wanted to believe he wouldn't lie to her. She wanted to believe that he would never betray her like the way she had originally suspected. Still, the idea was always going to be in the back of her mind. She needed to get away. Away from the whole situation, including the kids, just so she could really sit back and think things through.

She didn't really know what there was to think about. Could she leave Edward Cullen? No. She couldn't three years ago and she sure as hell couldn't now. Not even couldn't...wouldn't. There was no way. Even if she wasn't still head over heels in love with him, they were raising two children she'd give her life for and Edward's baby son was on the way. So, why did she feel this intense pull to leave that family for a few days and spend time with her parents back in Seattle? She had no idea but if Edward was fine with it, so was she. Besides, she missed her mom and couldn't wait to spend some quality time with her.

Thursday night came and Bella brought the kids over to the fire station after school to run around and play with Lily. When she walked in, she smiled when she saw her husband holding baby Tessa in his arms and cooing at her. Her two took off for the upstairs where they knew they would find Lily and Bella headed over to say hello to Clair—who looked exhausted.

Since finding out about the fallout between Edward and Rosalie, Bella had yet to be able to really see how they were doing around each other. She had asked Edward to speak to his friend, never wanting them to just quit talking. While the fact that Rose had backed off some made her happy, she knew that Edward wasn't happy about the whole situation and couldn't imagine that Rosalie was. Emmett was talking away with Tyler, laughing and joking. Edward pecked her on the cheek while he still held the wide-awake infant and asked how her day went. Pleasantries were exchanged and eventually all three kids came sliding down the poll—Jasper was helping them down and Alice and Rosalie appeared on the steps.

"We were thinking about just ordering something and having it delivered here tonight. What do you guys think?" inquired Alice, who looked like she was miserable with her swollen tummy and hurting back.

"I think it's perfect," Bella agreed, feeling too tired herself to cook. She knew Edward would if she asked him to but until they would have gotten the kids home, cooked their dinner, fed them, and got homework done, they wouldn't have had much time to just be kids.

"I'll run and pick it up," Emmett volunteered as James walked in with Ry and Cam.

"Pick what up?" Cam asked, seemingly intrigued.

"Pizza!" Kaley yelled and Cam scooped her up, kissing her forehead.

"Hey, Kal's!"

"Emmett," Rosalie spoke for the first time since she'd come down the stairs. "I need to get Lily home."

Bella received hugs from the two new guys and glanced over at Edward. Something about Rosalie seemed off kilter. The way she spoke sounded like a challenge, like she wanted to see what Emmett's reaction would be. Edward must have handed Tessa off to her father because Kaley and Lily were now practically hanging on him. "I stay mommy! I play!" Lily pouted as Edward picked both girls up and threw them over his shoulder.

"Rose, let her stay," Emmett said in a defeated tone, "she's going to need to eat anyway..."

Edward stayed quiet though Bella knew from his expression that he felt like he should say something. Lily had forgotten about having to leave and was pulling on Edwards hair and giggling. He would give the little girl smiles that never reached his eyes when she tried to make eye contact. Bella knew things weren't okay.

Trying to break the tension, Alice started trying to figure out what type of pizza to order and James pulled out his phone to call the pizza shop down the street. They settled on two, one with everything but anchovies—something the guys had taken to eating, and one plain for those with weaker, pregnant stomachs. After months of dealing with a low blood pressure, Bella could tell hers was low before even having to check. Heading upstairs, she opened the refrigerator and took out an apple to cut up. "Blood sugar?" someone asked from behind her, making her jump and drop the knife she was holding. Spinning around, she shook her head and breathed out a laugh, "Jesus, Emmett..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Want some apple?"

"No, thanks."

Bella stood chewing a piece of apple and waiting for him to say something. She didn't have many talks with Emmett and was unsure of what to say. The silence was deafening. "Yeah, my sugar wasn't high enough...I'm kind of used to it by now..."

"That must be hard," he said, pulling himself up so he's sitting on the counter in the small kitchen.

"Nah, it'll be worth it in the end."

"It's almost time. Are you excited?"

Bella wasn't definitely not expecting the conversation to go in this direction but she answered honestly. "I'm a bit scared. Edward assures me that everything will be okay and Masen will make it out happy and healthy."

"He's a good man, Bella."

She smiled to herself, finally having the apple cut to her liking, she cleaned off the knife and took a few bites before nodding her head in agreement. The ball was in her court to say something but she felt like he should be the one talking. He was the one being cryptic. Crossing her arms, she asked as if she meant business, "Em, what's up?"

He looked down at the tiled floor and she watched his face. He looked worried but concerned at the same time. A sick feeling was forming in her stomach and the only reason she wasn't jumping to conclusions was because of the way he kindly spoke of her husband. "Bella, look, Edward loves you."

"Em, I know..."

"Rosalie...my wife...I don't think she...she doesn't love me."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing I do is ever good enough for her. I wanted you to know...she asked me for a divorce..."

"Em..." Bella began, surprised and in complete shock. It wasn't that the word wasn't thrown around between the two of them often, she just had a truly bad feeling this time, especially because it may have involved her husband.

"Bella, this has been a long time coming. Every time I begged her not to leave in the past...I was just delaying the inevitable. I knew when I married her that I would never have her heart and it killed me and I told her...I didn't want kids. I was so in love with her that I looked past everything, hoping that in time she'd come to love me as much as I loved her. In the back of my mind, though, I guess I always assumed we wouldn't work out...and I didn't want to put any children we'd have together through a divorce..."

"You knew she didn't love you and you still married her? Wh...I...why?" Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It wasn't bad all the time. I mean, it's just one of those first love things, ya know? I'll never be that person for her but in her way she did love me...just not fully..." Bella listened patiently as he struggled for words. "I love Lily. I love her more than life itself and I truly was fine with Rose getting pregnant because you were in the picture..." Those words sent Bella reeling. She didn't want to hear this. Knowing that her being in the picture was what made Emmett feel like he and his wife had a chance made her sick. He just kept going. "I should have known that I would never be as good as him..."

"Edward..." Bella whispered, not really needing confirmation and feeling nauseous.

"He loves you so much. You should have seen him, Bella," Emmett said with a fond smile, as if thinking of a really good memory. "I busted his balls over it of course but you were the first girl who really got to him. None of us expected him to find someone to settle down with...we thought it would be him and Kaley until she grew up and moved out. Then this young little thing moves in right next door, completely knocking him off of his feet...As things got more serious between the two of you, things seemed to finally be what I had wanted with Rosalie..."

"Em...this isn't okay..."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Bella could see now that there were tears in his eyes and knew that it had to be hard for him to be telling her all of this. "I love her so fucking much..."

"You don't want a divorce. You don't want this, do you?" Bella asked as if it was an accusation.

"No. I don't. I can't keep doing this, though. I'm scared for Liliana. She's so little..."

"You need to talk to Rosalie..."

"It's pointless. She acts like I'm holding her back. It was her choice to take over where Annie left off and since then it's gotten to the point that I'm like a coworker to her, not her husband...and it hurts when she acts like I can't make any decisions for my daughter. I want what's best for her. The worst thing we could do right now is have another little one but she sees her friends pregnant and with new babies and all that biological shit kicks in. Our marriage is broken."

"Because of mine," Bella responded quietly.

"No. I'm not telling you this to worry you. Edward will pick you every time, he doesn't love her like that. She's not Tanya, Bells. She won't stoop that low. I just don't want that doubt to be there for you. I love Edward like a brother and I'm not holding a grudge against him or blaming him for anything. I just wanted you to know that...to know that just because Rosalie loves him deeply, it doesn't mean he feels that way. I swear to you he doesn't. I promise..."

He was crying now and Bella couldn't help but hug him awkwardly as he sat on the counter and her belly stuck out between them. "I wish I could say something to fix this..."

"It's no one's fault but mine," he said, shaking his head. "I was selfish in believing that she would come to love me the way I love her. Now my daughter will be put through exactly what I wanted to prevent."

"Bella! Pizza's here!" Alice yelled from downstairs, slamming them both back to reality and Edward stepped into the room a moment later.

"What, did you get full on that apple?" Edward laughed, having no idea what was just said. Bella just smiled and took his hand to lead him back downstairs, leaving Emmett to compose himself.

**More drama to come in the next chapter, most of it is already written :) Please, please give me some responses and I promise I'll update very soon. For anyone looking for a beta, I've officially decided to become one and you can check out my beta profile on my page. Also, don't forget to find me on Twitter letzigprincess. As always, lots of love, LP XX**


	68. Chapter 68

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 68**

Bella couldn't seem to focus on any of the discussions going on around her after what Emmett had said. She definitely wasn't hungry anymore but she needed to eat, if not for herself, than for her unborn child. As soon as they were done eating, they took the kids home to get homework done, it was only about seven when the phone rang. Bella listened as Edward answered it. They were both relaxing in the living room. "I have to talk to Bells. I'll call you back in a few minutes."

After hanging up with whoever was on the phone Edward looked at her. "That was Cam, he wanted to know if we wanted to go out for a little while."

"Tonight? What about the kids?"

"I'm sure mom would come sit with them...but it's entirely up to you."

"Why don't you just go? I'll stay home with them..."

"Tonight's our last night together before you leave for the weekend. I want to be with you. I'm fine with staying in..."

"Where does he want to go?" Bella asked, obviously worried about bars with cigarette smoke permeating the air.

Edward rambled off the bar closest to the station, one she knew was smoke-free. Looking over at the kids, who both looked exhausted, and thinking about spending time away from the house with Edward, she smiled shyly. "Do you think your mom would be willing to come over?"

The night was cold but the snow wasn't falling. Bella hoped that the next day would be just as snow-free when it came time to drive to Seattle. Since they'd been married, it wasn't really common for them to go out too often, unless it was just to hang out at the station. It felt good to have a reason to get a little dressed up, even if she did almost have a panic attack over what to wear. Edward, looked amazing as always, dressed in one of his signature button-ups and dark wash jeans. She smiled, knowing Masen already had one such miniature outfit in his own little closet.

"What are you thinking about, love?" Edward ask, glancing over at her.

"About Masen."

A smile crossed Edward's face as well, "I can't wait to hold him."

Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the bar and Edward came around to open her door. She noticed Cam's Charger and James's truck. Wondering if Ally came out, Bella followed her husband inside and wound through the loud, music filled room up to the bar. "Hey, guys!" Emmett said, already looking a little tipsy and giving them both a hug.

It being a Thursday, there were a lot of people packed around the bar and Edward asked her what she wanted to drink. "Shirley Temple," she replied with a smile.

She waited, making small talk with James until he returned. When he was making his way back, Bella noticed one of the college girls checking him out and couldn't help but laugh. He was looking only at her, a big grin on his face, as he handed her the non-alcoholic drink. "Don't have too many...I might need a designated driver," he joked, after kissing her on the cheek.

She was glad she came out and followed him over to a table in the back where Emmett, Jasper, Cam, and Ryan all sat. She felt awkward with Emmett, wishing she could get him alone again to ask him why he had told her all that he had. Bella hated hiding all of this new information from Edward but she knew he'd know soon enough. She was surprised when she turned to see Clair heading towards her, her freshly died highlighted brown and blonde curls bobbing as she walked over to them. Tyler was nowhere in sight.

"Wow!" Emmett exclaimed with a laugh. "You actually got a babysitter for tonight?"

"Nope," she said with a smirk on her face, "her father stayed home to watch her."

Emmett dropped his jaw jokingly. "What did he get in trouble for?"

"Nothing. He's still trying to make up for screwing me over when I was pregnant. I figure I have at least two more guilt free nights to party by myself. Let's go, Bells! We have some dancing to do!"

Bella glanced over at Edward, who leaned into her and whispered, "Please be careful."

She smiled at him and followed Clair to the dance floor. It felt good to be out of the house and living a little. Two songs later, she knew it was time to go rest and motioned to Clair that she needed another drink. The girls made their way to the bar and in seconds, Edward was behind her, pulling out his wallet. He paid for both of their drinks and when Clair went to thank him, she turned towards the tables to see if she could spot Rosalie and Emmett. From what she could see, Rosalie hadn't come with him. He and the other guys seemed to be absorbed by something across the room and she just rolled her eyes, assuming they were checking out some sorority girl.

Clair was joking around with Edward about something when she heard a crash behind her. It was along the far wall and when she spun around to see what was going on, she saw Emmett taking off across the room...it was where he had been looking before. As if on instinct, Edward pushed her behind him and turned to see what was happening as well. It was clear there was a bar fight going down. It wasn't until Laurent and Emmett were both yelling something that she realized Rosalie was definitely there, and she had Edward's ex backed into a corner.

"You did this to him!"

"You never gave me the chance not to, Rosalie! You were constantly with him!"

"Go to hell!"

"Rose, stop!" Emmett's voice boomed over the music, which was the only noise being made at the moment. Forks was small, everyone knew everyone, and bar fights were definitely attention grabbing—especially when it was two females (one of which was the mayor's daughter.)

"Stay out of this, Emmett!" Rose said, this time turning to look at him. Then looking back at Tanya, she kept going. "Don't even get me started on what you've done to Kaley! How could you turn your back on his child but claim you _love_ him?"

Bella, who was pressed against Edward's back and peering around him at the display, felt her husband's body tense up. The girls kept going but he stood there planted at his spot in front of her. "You claim you don't love him when really, all _you_ ever _wanted_ was to have his kids!"

That's all it took to go from verbal and embarrassing to physical and humiliating. Tanya flung herself towards the other blonde and Emmett tried to get in between them. With Emmett so close to his wife, Bella couldn't make out what was said between them but it must have been bad because he shook his head and stepped back, walking towards the exit and then out of the bar completely. The owner was involved now, telling the girls to take it outside or he'd call the police. They weren't listening to him, though.

As Tanya brought her fist up, Edward moved towards them. Bella watched as if it were all in slow motion. Tanya's fist connecting with Rose's cheek, Edward actually grabbing onto Rosalie, begging Tanya to stop, and eventually pulling Rosalie outside. Bella rushed to see what was going on and Tanya, who was on her way out after them, actually stopped to let Bella through first. The cold, winter air hit her, causing her lungs to burn but she looked around until she spotted them. Emmett's truck was gone and in it's place, Edward had Rose pinned to side of the Volvo, obviously trying to prevent her from going back into the bar.

When Rose spotted Tanya walking to Laurent's car, she fought him enough to get away. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back again. "Dammit, stop this bullshit, Rosalie!"

Bella knew then that he was pissed. She had never even seen him this pissed off at Jacob. "She started this!" Rosalie protested.

"I don't give a fuck who started it! It's over!"

As Tanya and Laurent pulled away, Bella watched as Rosalie Hale snapped. Falling into Edward, the blonde sobbed and Bella felt awful for her husband. His face as so torn that she held up her hand and nodded her head. She wanted to convey to him that it was okay, she understood, he needed to be there for his friend. Turning, she left Clair standing there in shock and went back inside the warm bar.

She didn't even make it to James before she felt arms come around her. Feeling defeated, she spun around and couldn't believe who it was. Edward was moving her hair from her face to look her in the eyes. "You are the only one who matters..."

"Where is she?"

He looked confused for a minute before getting out that she was still outside. Taking Edward's hand, Bella went back into the cold parking lot and found Rosalie holding a cell phone to her ear. She was looking up to the sky and Bella carefully made her way through the icy parking lot with Edward's hand on the small of her back guiding her. "Rose," Bella said quietly, approaching the distraught girl.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Oh, God. I never meant to hurt you..."

"You didn't, Rose," Bella said quietly, hugging the woman who had come to be a close friend. Bella couldn't see her husband behind her but she knew he was there and she also knew that tonight a line had been drawn between him and his best friend.

"I really messed up with Emmett...but I can't regret what happened with Tanya. It's built up for years. This had nothing to do with either of our marriages. I swear it to you."

"Come on, let's go back to our place. You can stay with us tonight and figure things out in the morning. Sometime tomorrow, the two of us are going to sit down and figure this out, okay?"

Rose nodded as Bella wiped some of her tears away, "You shouldn't even be out here...let's get you and my nephew somewhere warm."

Edward stepped forward then, helping Bella into the front seat as Rose climbed into the back. "Alright, let's go. Rosalie, did you try to call Emmett?"

"Yeah...he won't even call me back. Edward, Lily's going to be looking for me..."

"Let's just go back to our place," Bella put in, "I'll call him on our way."

The ride back to the house was pretty quiet until Bella's call to Emmett. As she suspected, he answered when he saw it was her cell and she didn't hesitate in her concern for her niece. "Did you get Lily from Rose's dad's house? Alright. I'll let Rose know she's okay. We're taking her to our place tonight."

"What did he say?" Rose asked anxiously as soon as Bella hung up.

"Lily's sound asleep and Em's taking her to his parents tomorrow while he goes to work..."

"I'll be home by then..."

"Rose, I know this isn't the best time to say this but...you're going to have to get used to sharing Lily with Emmett. He's never going to let you take her away from him..."

"He told you." It came out as a statement, not a question.

"Yeah. He told me earlier today."

"Told you about what?" Edward asked, trying to focus on the road.

Bella remembered that he still probably didn't know what was going on and in a way, she was kind of glad that he was out of the loop. "Um..." She also didn't know if Rosalie wanted him to know.

"Emmett and I are going to...we're not...it's really happening this time, Edward. We're getting a divorce."

The rest of the ride was in complete silence and when they pulled up to the house, Bella was relieved to just be home. While she didn't regret going, having had fun with Clair, it was definitely not the night she had planned on having. It wasn't very late and Esme was sitting there with Robby, who obviously had just had one of his whopper of a nightmares. Having kept the kids for them many times, Esme knew that this was normal and she just sat on the couch with him while his little heart slowed down. When Edward and Bella came up the steps, he started crying again.

Bella went to him, pulling him to her chest and kissing his forehead. The soft couch felt amazing on her back. Esme seemed surprised to find Rosalie with them but didn't ask questions, just gave everyone a hug and told them she'd see most of them tomorrow. She agreed to watch the kids overnight the next night on one condition—all four of them had to eat dinner with her and Carlisle before class.

When she was gone, Edward pulled blankets from the hall closet and handed them to Rosalie. Bella heard them talking while she tucked Robby back in and went into her bedroom to figure out what to give the girl to wear. Typically, Bella's clothes would have been too tight. Not because Rose was big but because Bella wore petite clothes most of her life and had a very small chest. With the pregnancy, Bella had an arsenal of baggy t-shirts and stretchy sweatpants. She was grateful. As much as she didn't hate the blonde, she couldn't stomach having to give Rosalie clothes of Edward's to wear.

Edward was heading downstairs to check on Kaley while she handed Rose the clothes and gave her a small smile. Wanting to see her daughter as well, she went down and peeked into the open door. Since the horrible day when she was taken, subtle changes had been happening in her family. One such change was Edward wouldn't go to bed without checking in on his daughter first. Tonight, he kissed the top of her head and tucked her comforter around her tighter.

Once Edward was satisfied that his daughter was sleeping peacefully, he stepped into the hallway and pulled his wife into him. "I'm sorry about what happened tonight. Rose said that Tanya came over to her and made a few comments about you and what went down when Kaley was kidnapped. Rose hadn't even realized she was there until that point and she tried to defend you..."

"But of course the underlying issue isn't me. It always comes back to you." Bella summed up what she knew would take him five minutes to say.

"I'm honestly exhausted over dealing with this..."

"Why don't I just stay home this weekend?"

"No. I'm not letting this effect us. Not anymore. I want you to have time to think...and I kind of have some things to get figured out too. I care a lot about Rose and Em both but just because they messed up their marriage for good doesn't mean I'm going to let them hurt ours."

She felt good hearing it but also felt completely exhausted. "Let's go to bed."

Rose was snoring lightly on the couch as they made their way back to the bedroom and took turns getting ready for bed in the bathroom. Bella was curled into a ball with her hands rubbing her stomach through her thin night gown while Edward brushed his teeth. Moments like this gave her the chance to focus only on her unborn son and despite the ridiculous night out they'd just had, she felt giddy for the class and her little mini-vacation the next day.

When Edward joined her, Bella reveled in his warmth against her back and like every night that he went to bed with her, leaned over to kiss her belly and tell his son just how excited he was to meet him. There was no way Masen wouldn't know Edward's voice when he arrived. Bella's heart clenched when she thought of Kaley as an infant, scared and wanting her mother's voice to soothe her only to get a strange man who she had no way of knowing could love her more than his own life.

"She looks like her," Bella said softly.

Edward pulled back as Bella rolled so that she could look at him, he just waited, letting her talk. When he realized she wasn't going to say anything else, that it was just an observation, he nodded. "I know. As she's growing up I'm noticing it more an more."

"She has your eyes, though."

"That's how I knew she was mine."

"Do you really think that they're going to go through with it this time? Emmett and Rosalie?"

"I don't know."

"Would you be upset if I went in for just a half day tomorrow?" Bella asked, immediately seeing the worry on Edward's face.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I just need to speak with Rosalie about some things."

"Of course I don't mind, Bella."

As the household was waking up, Bella asked Rose if she could stay for a little while instead of leaving right away. Edward kissed Bella goodbye and took the kids about an hour later and that's when the two girls sat down. The two had always treaded carefully around the other but Bella was to the point that she would say what she needed to say, whether the blonde wanted to hear it or not. She had one question first, a question that she was going to ask, regardless of how awkward things could get.

"Bella, I'm sorry..."

"Don't. I'm not mad at you for last night. Edward said you defended me. I do have something to ask and if you respect me at all, you will answer honestly because quite frankly I'm getting really tired of trying to decipher it on my own. Rosalie, are you in love with my husband?"

Rosalie looked like she had been slapped and Bella couldn't decided if she offended the girl or just really, really surprised her. Silence stretched on before Rose looked down at the carpet and then back up at Bella. With tears in her eyes, the blonde only nodded and that was enough for Bella. Closing her own eyes, Bella thought back over all the times Edward and Rosalie had been alone together and couldn't help but ask the next question. "Did you sleep with him?"

Bella watched as Rose's eyes widened, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head violently. "No..." she choked out, "never. How can you even ask me that? Do you have any idea how much he fucking loves you?"

"He told me you two went to prom together, that you both wanted to give having a relationship a try..."

"That was over ten years ago! I don't know what all he told you but there was nothing there between us, at least nothing that _he_ felt. Before you, he slept with Tanya and a few random people in school and people he met at bars. You _need_ to learn something about him. Sex isn't something he turns to when he's upset. Yeah, once in awhile before you came along it was sometimes meaningless to him. He would never do that with someone he cares about, though. He and I respect each other far too much to ever bring it up."

"Emmett told me you loved Edward more than him and that's why you're leaving him."

"Em and I aren't good for each other, Bells. He's a nice guy and I do love him. It's just that we have different personalities and we fight constantly."

"Did you ever tell _him_ that because according to him it's all because of Edward..."

Rose just shook her head and sighed, "I threw the fact that Edward's always there for me and he's not in his face once...it was before we were even married...he's never forgiven me for it."

"But you're okay with the divorce?"

"Yes. I asked him for one before but he begged me not to go and...I don't want to see him hurting anymore."

"So you keep coming back."

"Yup."

"But you're not happy?"

"Bella, how the hell could I be? Imagine if you loved someone more than your husband and that someone was not only the person who has been your best friend for your entire life but also happily married to someone else and expecting a new baby? Things may have been different with Emmett had he let me have some of the things that I wanted. He likes that I'm a stay at home mom and he loves that I took over for Annie. I like what I do and Lily means everything to me but what happens when I need to get out on my own for a little while? I'm a stay at home mom with one child and I'm turning thirty here in a few weeks. I want another child before I get too much older. It's just another reason that I wonder if Emmett is right for me. I can't help but feel that there is something more for me out there."

Bella just looked at her, not really knowing what to say. Briefly, she had wanted to correct Rosalie by telling her that Edward wasn't all that happily married and she was leaving for Seattle the next day because of it. She caught herself, though, unable to decide if she didn't because as a friend she wanted Rose to not think she was wrong or because she didn't want someone who loved her husband to know that she would be away for a weekend while they had issues in their marriage.

"Bella, I've never mentioned any of this to him for a reason. I don't want to mess up the relationship we _do _have...though apparently I guess our friendship is kind of falling apart anyway..."

Once again, she didn't know what to say. Finally, she spoke and what came out surprised her. "Look, I know he loves me but I'm begging you, Rosalie. Please, please don't try to take him from me. You're pretty...and..."

"If I didn't try to take him away from that bitch ex-wife of his, why the hell would I try to take him away from you? For the first time in his life, he's happy, Bella. Truly and completely happy. You didn't know him before. He'd give anything for you and the kids. Every time he stops at the station he talks about your latest doctor's appointment or Kaley's loose tooth or Robby's first time making a snowman... or how he can't wait to hold baby Masen. Bella, I wouldn't dream of trying to mess any of that up for him. I never intended to admit my feelings to him and quite honestly, no one's ever asked. You're kind of the first one to have the balls to do it."

"I fight for what's mine, Rose. I think you leaving Emmett made everything escalate and I just couldn't sit back and watch it anymore."

"I never meant to make you feel like that, Bells. I consider you one of my closest friends and I'd hate for us to fight over this..."

"We're fine as far as I'm concerned. Just don't give us a reason not to be," Bella smiled at her.

"I should probably be going," groaned Rosalie. "I really want Lilianna but I don't want to go his parents..."

"Well, I'll come with you and we'll pick her up together. I took a half day."

"You didn't have to do that for me..."

"Yeah, I did. Now come on."

When they pulled up in front of the house, Bella felt like a weight was lifted off of her but she still felt bad for Rose and Emmett. Before they could get out, Bella decided to ask one more question. "Rose?"

"Yeah, Bells?" her friend asked, looking longingly at her in-laws house.

"You said you think he is the happiest he's ever been...is that really true?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "Ever since you two were married he's been on cloud nine."

After visiting with the McCarty's, who didn't seem to have a clue there was any bad blood between their son and his wife, Bella dropped Rose and Lily off at their house before heading home. She didn't want to pack her things in front of the kids before school, they would have thrown a fit and not even Edward could have gotten them into the car. They were already excited over their Aunt Rose visiting with them. Heading out to work, Bella tried to focus on the hands-on science project she had set up for the kids that afternoon, which she knew would without a doubt wear her out.

The problem was, she couldn't get her head in the game. Every little kick from Masen—who seemed to have drank a five hour energy this morning, and every time she thought of her impending trip to Seattle, guilt racked her body. As much as she hated it, Rose knew Edward better than she did. She also loved him yet she was explaining to Bella how happy he was with his wife and children. If Rose said this was the happiest she'd ever seen him, Bella knew it was true. To think that he was as depressed and stressed out before he met her, that these rough patches weren't that hard on him compared to what he'd been through before, Bella just wanted to hold him and apologize.

**It never ceases to amaze me how much support I receive from my readers! I also find it interesting that half of you who comment on the characters either can't stand Edward or can't stand Bella. :) Either way, thanks for the honest feedback. Please keep it up and I'll keep on typing. See, I promised you'd get a quicker update this time :) Not sure when the next will be, please tell me what you think about this one! I hold you all in my heart, LP xx**


	69. Chapter 69

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 69**

"Look grammy!" Kaley yelled, running into her grandparent's house excitedly.

"What do you have, little bug?" Esme asked, laughing at her granddaughter.

"Beans!" Kaley shouted, shoving the bag excitedly towards Esme.

"Wow..." Esme said, not really sure why that was so exciting.

Bella just gave her a hug and said, "Those are special beans, grammy. We grew them ourselves this summer and Kaley insisted on taking them out of the freezer and bringing them here."

"Well, you know what that means," Esme said, pulling Robby in for a hug, "you two get to come work with me in the kitchen. Let's go, I need a pot of water stat!"

The kids excitedly skipped after her and Edward and Bella followed. Just as the green beans were getting done, Carlisle came in and Robby smiled at him while Kaley went to give her grandpap a hug. "Can we go outside and sled?"

"After dinner we'll go, bug. Did you bring your snow clothes?"

"Yup!"

Dinner went well. They discussed the investigation that was going on with the Forks County Police Department in regards to Darren and how Edward was upset that they were going to try Josephina. After dinner, while the adults finished off some homemade Tiramisu and the kids ran off to play, Edward brought something up that everyone had been waiting to hear about for months. "I got a call at work today from my boss. As long as there aren't any big problems, Judge Anderson will be ruling on whether or not Robby will be officially adopted by us..."

Esme looked at Carlisle excitedly and Bella's face lit up. They had been going back and forth with the state for months now trying to get him permanently. The scary thing was if he had someone they didn't know about looking for him, as long as he's legally just a foster child, he could be taken away and placed with that person instead. Fear hung over them constantly as they worried about whether or not Robby would remain with them. This made it feel like they were actually getting somewhere. "When?" she asked excitedly.

"A month from Tuesday. Another social worker is going to be paying us a visit to ensure everything is good with the house and I know the girl. I worked with her before."

"Well, I mean, there's no way they won't give him to us, right? To him, we are his parents and that's that. I'm a school teacher, you're a social worker. How could they not say yes?" she asked, wishing she could sound more sure of herself.

"Well...there are a few underlying factors...but it shouldn't matter and I'm almost positive that we'll get him for good. I wonder how to change his name at school. I'll call and talk to Irina..."

"What kinds of issues?" Esme asked, meanwhile Bella notice Carlisle stayed quiet and Edward seemed edgy.

"It's just...you know...maybe the house isn't up to standards with something or..." his voice trailed off.

Once again, he was keeping something from her. He had to be. She couldn't understand why else he'd be so cryptic about the whole thing. The reporter that ambushed her the day Kaley was kidnapped came to mind. A sick feeling formed in her stomach...and it wasn't from Masen dancing on her bladder. "Or if someone thinks they aren't properly supervised..."

"No. Bella, please don't worry about this..."

"How can I not? How would you feel if this was your fault?"

"Bells. Seriously. We have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to raising our kids and people know us. What happened to Kaley was horrible but it could have very well happened to any other kid in the neighborhood who was outside playing that day. The kids were in our _yard_ and they are old enough to know not to run out and play in the streets. What Darren did was criminal, you are not the reason Kaley was taken. If you are than I'm just as guilty for going into work that day and leaving all three of you alone. It's crap and when people come into our home and see how much we care for Robby, then you're right, there's no way they could take him."

Bella just nodded, knowing that she hit the nail on the head as far as the underlying issues that he was talking about. His words comforted her, even if she didn't completely believe them. He was afraid to stress her and she knew it. "Bella, we all know that you love your kids more than anything. That's what matters," Esme said kindly, reaching across the table to rub her arm.

She did love her kids and she also loved their father. What Esme said stuck out to her and though she knew her mother-in-law didn't mean it with anything but kindness, it bothered her. Trying to smile, Bella took one more bite of her dessert and looked up at the clock. "We need to get going. Ally and Jazz are going to wait for us in the parking lot."

Bella took Edwards arm as they headed into the hospital with Jasper and Alice in tow. She was excited and tried to brush off the weird feelings she couldn't seem to shake. She was surprised when they were given packets of information and pens after they were led in to the large room with tables set up. Thinking of all the movies she had watched in the past, she was expecting the other moms to be sitting on the floor, leaning back against their husbands, and practicing breathing techniques. Apparently, tonight was more of a cognitive than a psycho-motor lesson.

One woman who looked like she was about ready to burst was sitting at a table with her own significant other when Jasper walked by. The woman's neck surprisingly didn't twist off her body when she followed him with her eyes but for a moment, Bella thought it might.. Alice glared at her and Edward leaned over to whisper in Bella's ear, "There's about to be a girl fight at our birthing class..."

Bella had to laugh at that as she tried focusing on reading through the materials they had given her. She liked the fact that the program was basically there to teach them how to keep baby and mom comfortable and supported throughout the process instead of just how to do ridiculous sounding breathing techniques. When it was time to leave, she and Edward were both a million times more relaxed than they were when they left his parents.

"So, according to this, gravity is going to be our best friend. No lying on my back to pop this little one out. It says I should be in a position to let gravity help me through it naturally..."

"Kind of ironic that being on your back is what put you in the situation in the first place..." Edward joked with her.

"Nah...we probably conceived in the bathroom at the bar that night...I believe you were holding me up against the door..." she replied with a laugh.

"Yup, that would be our kid. Conceived in a bathroom in a local bar.I like that they don't think highly of separating you and Masen right away. I hated that Kaley was in that room with a bunch of other crying babies instead of with someone who loved her. I couldn't wait until they finished the paternity test so that I could hold her..."

"Masen will be loved, Edward. The way a newborn should be."

"I can't believe this is actually happening...it's just so surreal, ya know?"

"You'd believe it if your son was shoving his feet against you non-stop," she countered. "I know what you mean, though."

It felt like seconds instead of hours when Bella woke up to Edward telling her they were there. With a stiff neck and a full bladder, Bella got out and was greeted by her parents. That familiar warm feeling came as she thought about being at her childhood home. Her dad helped Edward carry their bags into the house as her mom insisted on making them a warm pot of tea. With the guys out of earshot, her mom leaned in. "What's going on?"

"Nothing really. I just needed a little break from things. I've missed you guys."

"That's it?" her mom asked skeptically.

"Alright, ladies, I think we have some time for a movie..." her dad interrupted, coming into the kitchen with Edward close on his heels. Her mom just gave her a look of 'we'll talk later' and finished getting mugs out of the cupboard.

After running upstairs to go to the bathroom, she joined everyone in the living room for an impromptu movie night. As soon as she sat down on the couch, Edward smiled at her and she slid over to him. He wrapped his arm around her as she cuddled into his side. She caught her mom looking over to smile at them as the previews rolled and she wanted to roll her eyes but stopped herself. This is the way things were supposed to be.

The movie was an older one her father insisted they watch time and again. While Edward seemed genuinely interested, she was finding it hard to stay awake. She drank her tea and ate a few cookies while Edward and her father laughed away at the stupid punch-lines. She liked seeing the two men together like this. She could remember her father not being so happy about the prospect of his daughter even dating Edward—now they were sharing a movie-watching moment together that was priceless to her.

The movie ended all too soon but as they all headed upstairs for bed, all she could think to herself was that she was more than happy Edward had brought her down and decided to stay. This trip was meant to be a little get away from him but she realized that the idea of him leaving tomorrow to go back home left her feeling empty. It confirmed something big for her. They needed to learn how to simply just be with each other more.

When they were in bed, Edward reached over to set the alarm clock on the night stand. "I've got to be out of here by eight-thirty. James is meeting me and Emmett. We've got two newbies coming for the first time today. We're not doing anything big, just showing them around but I told them I'd be there at twelve. I don't want to be there all afternoon...as soon as I'm done there I'm going to mom and dad's to get the kids."

Bella was trying to get comfortable despite the pains in her back as she asked him how long his mom was going to keep the little ones. They had called right before the movie started to tell them goodnight and it was almost painful to not be there to tuck them in. Any other time, even if the kids weren't at home with them, they weren't far. Having them three hours away bothered her. She thought about how guilty she was feeling about what Rosalie had said, how much she missed her kids already, and how the next night she wouldn't even have her husband there with her.

This whole trip was a stupid idea. Wanting to pull the blankets over herself and cry, she felt Edward's hands on her belly. "Talk to me. What's going through that mind of yours?"

"I shouldn't have come..."

"I thought you said you were having a good time and you seemed to be enjoying yourself during the movie..."

"No, that was great...I just...I'm screwing us up."

"What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't run away from the problems...I should be there with you facing them and I'm not..."

"We're going to be fine, Bella. I understand what you're saying but I really think some time with your mom—regardless of what happens with us or the kids—is something that is good for you. I think I take for granted that my family and all my friends live close to us. You don't see your parents often and I know it can be hard on you. You're not running."

He got closer to her and it took her a moment to realize she was practically clinging to him. She felt so ridiculous, so up and down emotionally, and that's when the crying began. Tears poured as she tried to figure out why. She prayed this was just hormones but she couldn't possibly understand how a biological problem with her body could make her this upset over...nothing. Edward didn't say anything more, just held onto her as if he knew there really wasn't anything to say.

She didn't know when she fell asleep but it felt good when she woke up next to her husband, despite the God awful ringing of the alarm clock she had learned to hate over many years. Without having to look in the mirror, she knew her eyes were swollen and she still felt kind of tired. With a sigh, she waited for Edward to turn off the offending object before apologizing for the night before.

"Are you sure you're okay? I don't need to leave..."

Shaking her head, she tried to give him a smile. "I'm fine. Really...I'm just going to miss you..."

"I'd try to talk you into just coming back with me today but I think your mom would probably cry as hard as you did last night. I could tell she was looking forward to seeing you this weekend. Didn't she say something about Leah coming to visit with Embry later? Enjoy your time here and I'll be back tomorrow night to get you."

Watching him drive away was tough but she decided to put her big girl panties on and plaster a smile on her face. When they had come downstairs, her mom could tell something was up given the puffy eyes and the circles under Edward's. Respectfully, her mom didn't ask any questions but she could see her father eying up his son-in-law. Now, she stood with her mom as her father had to leave to take care of some business at the station. As he left, he mumbled something about paperwork and a desk job. Renee rolled her eyes, "They're trying to get him to cut back on in-field work. The old police chief kind of didn't do much and I'm afraid they think your father is the same way...which he's not. He's starting to go a little stir crazy. Speaking of stir crazy, what's up with this little mini-vaca?"

"Mom, really, I just needed some time away."

"Alright, then, tell me about Masen and your birthing classes." Bella launched into the whole story about how they pretty much had his room ready for him and the fact that Kaley loved to go in there and hang up little pictures she drew. "How's Robby?"

Biting her lip, Bella shrugged. "He's good. He has his moments and I sometimes wonder if he'll ever be able to fully come to terms with what happened to him. When he gets older...I guess I'm hoping he kind of forgets some of it the way little kids do but I just don't know. I guess neither of us really know how he's going to react to having a newborn in the house..."

"Do you think it will upset him?"

"I hope not. Edward told his parents and me last night at dinner that we're finally going to get a ruling on whether or not we can become his legal parents through adoption but there's...underlying issues...as Edward puts it."

"You two have had him for how many months now? Why would they just take him from you? Who could possibly be more qualified than you and Edward?"

"I don't know. What happened with Kaley...I guess it has all of us really shook up..."

"Is that why you look like you've been crying all night?" Renee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No...yes...maybe? I don't know..."

"How is Kaley? I know I spoke to her on the phone that night and she really didn't seem phased by it. She was more worried about Robby stealing her puzzle pieces or something..."

Bella laughed, "That's our Kaley. She definitely didn't get her free spirit from her father..."

Lowering her voice, Renee leaned closer, "Alice told me that Kaley's mom is back in town. Does this have to do with his ex-wife? Your being here?"

"No. Edward and I are just going through some...phases...and I'm sure everything will work out. I found out he lied to me about going to therapy and I got mad and we're both so busy anymore with work and the kids..."

"And life?" Renee interrupted her. "Bella, what you two are going through is normal. The only thing that isn't is his lying to you. That's not okay."

"I know but...I think it has to do with him feeling bad about himself because he's not going. He knows he should be but he's a private person, mom."

"You knew his life story within months of meeting him..."

"I'm his wife!" Bella said, sounding angry and immediately regretting it. "Mom, I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful week and I already miss him and the kids."

"So he lied to you because he didn't want to go anymore but didn't want to admit it?"

"Yeah. I don't blame him. Well, I blame him for lying to me, but you can't imagine some of the things he's dealt with between work and the station."

"So you aren't mad at him anymore?"

"No."

"And everything is okay with the kids?"

"Yes."

"And you miss them?"

"Very much..."

"Bella, honey, why are you here then?"

Groaning, Bella put her head in her hands, "I don't know."

"Is mommy home yet?" Robby asked Edward for the fifth time since they'd gotten home. He had met one of the two new recruits and had been shocked to find out that this particular one was of the female variety. He felt bad for having assumed that they were both men but he didn't think they had ever had a female join the group to go out on active duty. This was going to be interesting. Lauren Mallory was a sweet girl who was a year younger than Jasper and Emmett. The other newbie never showed. Shortly after leaving the station he had picked up the kids, who immediately asked for Bella.

Explaining that she was visiting with Grammy Swan for awhile and that she'd be home the next day, he had managed to get them to relax but he could tell they weren't used to not having her there. He took Robby for a haircut as planned and while they were there, he noticed Kaley was talking non-stop about Santa Clause. He could remember Robby telling them he'd never been given a present from Santa and cleared his throat, "Hey, buddy, what do you want Santa Clause to bring you?" He had never seen a child think so hard about what he wanted for Christmas. Hell, when he was a kid he had his list ready to go for the next year on December 26th. Robby never did answer him and he wasn't going to push it. The kid was going to get enough Christmas presents to last him a lifetime.

Now, with the kids at home and fed, they were all chilling in the living room on the couch watching some movie about a horse when the phone rang. Grabbing it, he left the kids and stood in the kitchen. "Hey, love."

"Ugh...is it time to come home yet?"

Edward chuckled. "What's wrong, baby? You miss me?"

"Yes! How are the kids?"

"They're doing fine but your absence definitely has not gone unnoticed. Oh, and Robby's haircut looks really good."

"I can't wait to see it!"

"How's my boy doing?"

"Good. He hasn't been super active today...which is weird but I'm sure all is fine."

"Alright, well, let me put you on speaker so you can say hi to the kids."

He turned their movie off for a minute and sat back down between them. "You're on speaker, Bells."

"Hey, guys! Are you having fun with your dad?"

"Mom!

"Mommy! When are you coming home?"

"Is the baby here yet?"

"I got a haircut!"

"Santa Clause is..."

"Hey! One at a time. Kaley, I know Santa is coming but you have to wait a little longer for him and your baby brother. Robby, I can't wait to see what you're hair looks like! I'll be home tomorrow. I love you, guys! Be good!"

"We are!" Kaley said, laughing and looking at her father.

Edward took the speaker phone off and told her he'd call her the next day. Hanging up, he finished the movie, got the kids bathed and managed to get into bed himself by ten. Reflecting back on the night before, he figured he probably got less than three hours of sleep. It was uncommon for Bella to be quite this emotional, usually she was the one holding him together. He was afraid to go to sleep until he knew she was peaceful and when that time finally came, he knew he would hate the alarm clock come morning.

Just as he was getting comfortable, he heard his cell phone chiming and grabbed it off the night stand. He so badly wanted it to be Bella again. When he saw 'Rose' pop up as the caller, he sat up and hit 'talk'. "Hello?"

"Hey."

"What's going on?"

"I think it's officially official. I'm moving back in with my dad tomorrow."

"What about Lily?"

"Emmett's going to keep her during the night and get her ready in the morning during the week. Then he'll bring her here during the day. We're going to switch off on weekends with her..."

Putting the phone on speaker, he set it in front of him and ran his hands through his hair. "Rose, you know that I would never say anything to intentionally hurt you. You know that but I really and truly think you are making a huge mistake."

"That's not fair."

"I know you, Rosalie. You aren't going to handle this well. You love being a mom and now you'll rarely get to even tuck Liliana in to bed..."

"Do you think I haven't thought of all that?"

"Being a single parent..."

"Would you stop? I watched you deal with it on your own before Bella came along and I know it sucks, okay?" he could hear that she was crying now.

"Is this really, really what you want?"

"Please don't. I just called to see if you wanted to get together for drinks or something...and I need some help moving..."

"Rose, I can't. I can't leave the kids..."

"Where's Bella?"

"In Seattle at her parents."

"Do you want some company? It's early..."

"No," he answered, trying not to sound to uptight about the situation. "I know that you and Em are over but don't put me in this position. Bella isn't here and you know what her and Emmett both think about us. I'm tired..."

"She told you didn't she?" Rose asked quietly.

"That she thought we were messing around? Yeah and I told her the truth...that nothing happened. Why?"

"No...that...I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Rose..." but she hung up before he could say anything else. There was no hiding the fact that Rosalie was acting strange but it didn't really matter. This was something she and her husband needed to work through and something he couldn't let come between himself and his own wife. Tossing the phone to the other side of the bed, he got up and went to check on the kids. He tried to tire himself out by doing some paperwork but it didn't help things at all. He wondered what he and Bella would be doing if she were there. He knew what he'd want to be doing with her and as those thoughts filled his head, he headed back to bed.

Laying by himself with both of his kids asleep, he felt lonely. Holding onto her pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to forget about things. At first there was a lot of tossing and turning involved but eventually his world faded to black. It was only later when he would wake up, soaked in sweat, his whole body trembling from one of his terrible nightmares that he would realize what Bella had meant. Waking up from a horrible nightmare with no one to hold tightly to was the worst feeling in the world. Things were going to have to change.

**Perhaps the lightbulbs above both of their head are starting to come on? Is Bella going over the deep end? There's one more surprise in Seattle and then the two will be reunited :) Please review, review, review and I'll update as soon as possible. As always, thank you for your tremendous support and feedback. Hugs, LP xx**


	70. Chapter 70

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**~This chapter is ridiculously long. For your comfort, please make a trip to the restroom before reading and possibly have a bottle of water handy. See ya at the bottom :)**

**Chapter 70**

"There she is! Look at you all pregnant and stuff..." Billy Black teased Bella as she walked into the restaurant she and her parents were meeting him and Jake at for Sunday brunch. Saturday had gone much better after visiting with Leah and she really did end up having fun. As much as she missed Edward and the kids, she was glad she came as a last little hoorah before the new baby came. Also, she was going home with a new sense of excitement over seeing her little ones and her husband—who she had already spoken to that morning because he couldn't find Kaley's button-up coat for church. He promised he would be there no later than five to join them for a ham dinner and to bring her home.

"Hey, Billy," Bella laughed, kissing him on the cheek and taking a seat beside Jake. "Where's Chelsea?"

"She worked night shift last night but she'll be meeting us for dinner," he said, chewing on a piece of bread. "She usually sleeps during the day when she has to pull an eleven to seven."

"So things are getting pretty serious with you two, huh?" Charlie asked after everyone at the table decided to opt for the breakfast buffet.

"Yeah. I'm really, really happy."

"Well, you deserve it," Bella said with a smile as she bumped his arm playfully.

After getting their plates of food, they sat down and talked about everything from Jake's recovery to Robby's adoption and she loved being able to spend time with her close family like this. As difficult as things had been with Jake over her dating and eventually marrying Edward, he was still family to her. Billy was just like an uncle. Feeling her phone go off in her pocket, she glanced over at Jake when she saw he had sent her a text. **Any plans today?**

Shaking her head, she sent one back. **No. **

**I need your help with something. You game?**

Feeling like they were back in high school, Bella laughed. She could remember sneaking out of her room to go hang out at Ally's with him and the rest of the pack. Her heart clenched at the original pack, a crew that was now missing the clown of the group. He always made her smile, even when she was crying over not making the softball team or when her parents grounded her for helping Jake do his homework—well, it was more like doing Jake's homework _for_ him. She hesitated but knew it had to be something good if he didn't want their parents to know what he was doing. **Bring it on.**

When they had finished eating and they were saying their goodbyes, Jake spoke. "I told Bella awhile ago that I'd take her shopping for something special for the baby. What do you say? Wanna go shopping now?"

"Uh...yeah. Mom, we'll be back in time for dinner."

No one found any of this suspicious so she headed towards the parking lot and he helped her up into his truck. "Trucks are _so_ not meant for pregnant people..."

"Yeah..."

Bella laughed. "So what is this secret mission you're taking me on?"

"You'll see soon enough. We're actually going to Embry and Leah's."

When they pulled up out front of the brick home that the couple just bought, he helped her out of the truck and they were greeted at the front door. After a hug from Leah, Jake went into their dining room and returned shortly after with a box in his hand. Bella glanced over at Leah and Embry, both of them were smiling and holding each other around each of their waists. "I was going to wait until Christmas but I've had the ring since Thanksgiving...and well...you were going to be here this weekend. So...yeah..." he handed the box to her and as she opened it, tears immediately sprang up, "...I'm going to ask Chelsea to marry me."

"Oh, Jake!" Bella said, holding the box in her hand and wrapping her arms around him—as best as she could with the baby between them. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Do you think she'll say yes?" he asked, laughing at her enthusiasm.

"I really, really do," she said, pulling away and looking over to smile at Leah. It felt so good to be back with the group she'd grown up with. They were missing two of the most important with Ally being back in Forks, heavy with child, and one of the best guys she'd ever met but hadn't been given long enough with him, Quil. "Do you know what else I think?"

"What?"

"We're missing two very important people," Bella said, tears were coming down her face. "These are happy tears. My baby makes me cry all the time..."

"I have an idea! Leah, grab your coat," Embry spoke up. "One of those people might not have been able to make it to us, so we'll go to him. The other we'll call."

Crying even harder, Bella felt Jake put an arm over her shoulder and lead her to the door. "I've never pegged you as being so emotional, Swan."

Laughing, Bella shook her head, "It's Cullen now, Black. Chelsea Black...it sounds good..."

"Ugh...I'm so excited!"

Standing in a small half circle around Quil's grave, Bella no longer had tears. Now, a more numb feeling had set in. The sound of Embry's phone on speaker phone, ringing and ringing, was the only sound that came as the hushed snow feel in almost perfect flakes around them. This was it. This was goodbye to her past, her childhood, and a hello to welcoming a little one into the world with her husband and children at her side. She had never felt more ready. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ally, it's Embry. Bella, Jake, Leah, and I are at Quil's grave site, we have something to share with you both..."

Barely letting him finish, Jake blurted out, "I'm asking Chelsea to marry me tonight!"

Everything had come full circle. Alice was happily married with a baby on the way. So was Bella, yet as most people may have tried to predict when she was younger, it wasn't with Jake. Jake was on his way to the isle and Leah and Embry had already beat him. The only one who wasn't experiencing some of these situations was their dear friend who had been taken too soon. They all knew in their hearts, though, that he was in a place better than any of them could possibly imagine.

She and Leah carefully cleaned off his grave stone, digging the snow out of the letters and brushing off the top. With a deep sigh, she turned to look back at Jake who was just recently off of his crutches. He still had a pronounce limp and as he helped her back to the truck, she didn't really know who was trying to help who the most. "Seriously, pregnant women plus large truck equals annoyance," she laughed as she braced herself to climb up.

When she was sitting in her seat, waiting for him to close the door, he looked at her for a moment, as if considering something. Without a word he came around and got behind the wheel. It took until Leah and Embry had pulled away and they were completely alone that Jake took a deep breath and began. "There's something else I need to tell you."

"Bella?" Edward called from the front door of her parents house.

Rushing from the kitchen, Bella walked as quickly as she could towards him and melted into his arms. "I missed you so much!" she whispered wildly into his ear. "Where are my babies?"

"Mommy!" they burst through the door, almost tackling her and causing Edward to tell them they needed to be careful with her.

"Ugh! I've missed you two! Look at that hair! Looking good, baby!" she said to Robby, kissing his forehead.

"Speaking of babies, how's mine doing?" he asked her, rubbing her belly.

"I swear he's doing summer-salts in there."

"Hey, Edward," Jake greeted from behind before kneeling down to hug the two kids running towards him.

"Uncle Jakey!" they yelled as he lifted Kaley up and then knelt back down to do his little hand shake he and Robby had somewhere along the line come up with.

Edward just rolled his eyes and Bella smirked before reassuring him, "They love you more. I promise."

"Hey guys! We can't come out there right now! Come in here!" Renee called from the kitchen. Bella watched as Jake hoisted both kids up and carried them into the kitchen.

"Be careful!" she yelled, though she didn't know what she was more worried about: Jake accidentally hurting one of the kids or one of the kids accidentally hurting Jake. She knew he was still adjusting to not having his crutches all of the time and she'd hate to see him fall and hurt himself after making so much progress with his physical therapy. It also didn't help that he'd probably end up dropping one of the kids in the process.

Turning back to Edward, she leaned against him and even though he still had his hand on the baby, she could tell he was anxious to say hello to everyone. "I'm sorry about everything. We're going to fix things...us...and we're going to be okay...because that's what we do."

"I called Dr. Kramer," Bella noticed he stressed using the formal name. "She can see us tomorrow night at seven. We'll do a half hour for my issues and then do the couple's counseling thing. I told her a little bit of what was going on over the phone and she's anxious to speak with you. I _want _us to work."

"I know, now come on. Dinner's almost done."

They found Renee, Charlie, and Billy covered in pieces of ham as Renee was holding the large ham and the two men were carving it. Jake had the kids mashing the potatoes as he had one hand on each of their backs as they stood on the same chair in front of the counter. That was Jake, always there to catch you when you'd fall.

Chelsea looked refreshed and perky when she walked in, hanging up her coat and unwrapping her scarf. She came right over and gave Bella a hug before high-fiving the kids and hugging Renee. As they all sat down to eat, Billy said a prayer to bless the food. Bella caught Edward staring at her for most of the meal—except when one of the kids would start telling a funny story or someone asked him a question. It felt good having her husband's attention. When the main meal was done, Renee pulled out an apple pie with cinnamon crumbles on top and cut everyone a piece. Once all the plates were pretty much empty, Jake cleared his throat. Bella looked up immediately, knowing she was the only one in the room who knew what was coming.

As if taking comfort in her support, Jake smiled and then turned to look around at everyone, including Chelsea. "I just wanted to say that I feel very, very blessed right now to be surrounded by people who I care about dearly. Renee, Charlie, I've known you my entire life and you're like second parents to me. I couldn't have gotten through what happened with my mom had it not been for you...and I doubt my dad could have either. Edward, from the first time I met you, I hated you. That changed though when I saw how happy you made my best friend. I know you love and care for her the best that you can, and to me, that speak volumes. I hope someday, I'll be half a good a husband as you are.

"Bells, some of the best times of my life happened with you there. Now, you have your own growing family and I couldn't be happier for you or for the way things turned out...not only for you...but for us both. I owe you more than you can imagine and I love you dearly. Dad, life hasn't always been so kind to us..." he was crying now and Bella felt the tears coming to her own eyes, "it didn't matter, though. We had each other and no matter what, we got through everything. I'm sorry I was not so great a son when I came home from Iraq. The army teaches us to respect others and I was so messed up I forgot that important role for awhile. There is no way I will ever be able to repay you for all you've done for me. I'm going to try, though.

"You two," he looked pointedly at Kaley and Robby who like everyone else were staring in awe at the impromptu speech, "are two of the luckiest kids in the world. Kal's never forget that your dad would give anything for you. Robby, just like me, you have scars to show that some people in the world aren't very nice. Always know that with this family, you are safe and always will be."

Standing up, he motioned around the table, "Chelsea, these people here are my family. We may not have the same blood running through our veins but we have the same love running through our hearts. We may not see each other often but when we do, it means something to all of us. While we're all connected legally, whether it be through marriage, adoption, or even property deeds...I don't have a way to connect you in that way and...Chelsea Marie Moore...I want nothing more to fix that tonight."

Everyone watched as he pushed his chair back and knelt down beside her. "Chels, I love you more than I could ever possibly imagine loving anyone. I can't even come to regret what happened while on active duty because without it, I never would have met you. A leg is a small price to pay for meeting someone so amazing. I've had this ring since Thanksgiving and I had wanted to wait until Christmas but I couldn't wait another day not having you know that I am committed, completely and whole-heartedly. Chelsea, will you please do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Chelsea Black?"

Edward was rubbing Bella's arm now, both of them happy for their friend as Chelsa frantically nodded her head and had to help him slide the beautiful engagement ring on her finger because she couldn't stop shaking. Bella had never seen Jake this happy before and she felt so happy for him, she was crying.

Well, she was crying, Renee was crying, and Chelsea couldn't seem to know what to do. She was shaking but the smile on her face gave her answer. Bella didn't know her as well as she wished she could but just the fact that she had saved her friend from the brink of self destruction was enough for her. Jake being this happy was just a plus.

The drive home was relaxing as the kids slept for the last two hours and it gave Bella and Edward a chance to talk. "So, how was it? Are you glad you stayed?"

Bella thought carefully about her answer. "It was harder than I thought to be away from the kids. I didn't realize the effect that would have on me..."

"You really haven't been away from them like that before."

"And when I have been, I've been with you. I just missed you. I think I just missed my family and this wasn't about getting away from you, Edward. It never was. I want to come back down, with you this time, again soon. I miss them, Edward."

"I know. We'll be going back next month for Christmas but then we're going to have to slow down for a while..."

"Oh, I know. I don't want to put myself in a position where we're away from home and the hospital and doctor we've been using. Once he comes though, my parents are going to want to see us more and I can't say that I blame them. Your parents live by us but imagine if they couldn't see Kaley except for once every few months."

"I know. We'll work it out, love. Just let him get here and when things calm down and he's able to be taken out we'll come up with a plan."

"So, how was this weekend without me? I see you survived," smiled Bella.

"Yeah. It sucked."

"Well, how were the new recruits? Do we have two more Ry and Cam's on our team?"

"No. We have a girl."

"What?" Bella asked in shock.

"It surprised me, too. It was only a matter of time that we ended up with a female for active duty but I don't know...it's just always been the guys..."

"What's she like?"

"James and I gave her a tour of the station and set up a few training times with her to go over the basics but she seems like a really sweet girl. She's very down to earth."

"What does she look like?"

"Um...she's taller...she kind of reminds me of Rose but she has straight, light red hair..."

"So she looks like an Irish supermodel?" Bella laughed, having always referred to Rosalie in terms of the runway.

Edward didn't answer her and she knew he took it the wrong way. "Speaking of Rose, have you spoken to her recently?"

"Yeah, we sat down and talked Friday morning," Bella confirmed, suddenly worrying about what to tell him.

"I got a call from her Saturday night."

"Oh?"

"She moved out of her and Emmett's house and in with her dad today. She needed help moving and she wanted to hang out. I think she needed to get out for awhile but she really doesn't have anyone else to call..."

Bella looked away, trying to remind herself that Edward didn't know Rose's secret and that it was normal for two friends to get together and hang out when one was going through a rough time. "What did you do with the kids?"

"They were already in bed til she called and I just explained that you weren't home and I didn't feel right about her coming over to our place..."

"Really?" Bella asked, a small smile turning up on her face as she realized he knew it would have looked bad and made her uncomfortable so he didn't go along with it.

"Bella, I told you before that nothing will ever happen with me and another girl...as long as I have anything to say about it...and nothing has every happened with Rose. Still, I realize it upsets you. How close Rose and I are. I think she's starting to see that I'm backing away, though. I don't want to hurt you over something as stupid as that."

"That means a lot to hear you say..."

"There was something that she said, though. Something that kind of seemed off kilter. When I turned her down, she assumed you told me something. What's going on, Bells? Is something wrong?"

_Something is very wrong, your best friend is in love with you and if it gets out, you'll never look at her the same way again... _That's what she wanted to say. She thought about how betrayed she felt when he lied to her and the fact that this weekend was about getting back to where they were. No secrets, no white lies, no more worrying about other people. Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to say it when he asked, "Really, what is it? Is someone sick...like..."

"No. Nothing like that..."

"Bells, you're scaring me..."

"She loves you," Bella whispered, tearing up because she knew this couldn't end well.

"Love how? There's different forms of love..."

"Love, Edward. Just love. Love the way...I love you."

By this point they were already to the outskirts of Forks and the rest of the ride was silent. Bella would have paid anything to hear his thoughts, to know how he was feeling. They were pulling up to the front of the house when he glanced over at her, his face solemn. "Does Em know?"

"I think...I think it might be part of the divorce..."

He shook his head and closed his eyes after putting the car in park. "Who else has she told this to?"

"Just me. That's it...but Edward, is it really that much of a surprise?"

"Imagine if you heard this from Jake..."

"I did. Many times. Before_ and_ after I met you. Remember?"

"I just don't know what to do...I guess I mean...Jake told you. You knew this for awhile. Even if this was how it was with her all of these years, why did she just say something now?"

"I don't know," she said as he opened the door and went to pick Robby up. Both kids were still sleeping and she waited until he came back out to carry Kaley in. She followed him back into the house as he held his daughter and took her down to her bedroom.

When he came back up, he pulled her into his lap where he was sitting on the couch. "Are you upset?"

"Not really...I guess I kind of expected it..."

"In what context did she tell you this? Did she just come right out and say it?"

"Actually, I asked her. I outright ask her. To her credit, she didn't lie...she didn't want me to tell you. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. This changes nothing between us and if it has to change things between me and her then it will." She kissed him on the cheek and snuggled into his chest. "God, Bella, I missed you. I realized last night was the first time in a really, really long time that I slept in our bed without you. It was awful..."

Bella couldn't help but laugh a little. "You usually don't sleep at all. I wake up and you're downstairs working..."

"I'm sorry for that. I realized when I woke up last night...and you weren't there...that I'm a lousy ass husband," he said it as if trying to joke around but Bella could see that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"You're not. You're just kind of messed up, Edward..."

He shook his head, "I'm going to fix this. I swear I am..."

"You're not," Bella said again, pulling his face to hers. "_We_ are. We're in this together. That's the way this is going to be. Kaley will love both of us either way but Robby needs stability and he needs both of us. We are going to welcome our baby boy into this world together. We're going to do this. Regardless of outside factors...of Rosalie...or anyone else who tries to mess with us. They can't. We're _going_ to do this."

"I love you like this, Bella..." he said breathlessly, looking into her eyes.

"How?"

"Just...happy..."

"Well, the kids are asleep. Our problems will never be solved completely but there might be one that we definitely need to work on. I mean..." Bella blushed, "if you would want to. I know I'm not exactly attractive what with the extra pounds and..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence because he was crushing his lips to hers and and his hand immediately went to her breast. Groaning, Bella felt his erection in seconds and all she could was see him. It had been awhile since they were together and the last time the baby bump was hardly there. Now, they had a very active bump between them. "Okay," he said, pulling her up, barely breaking their kiss, "you need to tell me if I hurt you. I've never done this before."

She kissed him again as they made their way to the entrance that lead to the hallway. They didn't make it. Her panties were dripping before they had left the couch and she was pretty sure that her jeans were wet as he awkwardly crushed his hips to hers. As soon as they stood up, she unzipped and pulled him out, beginning to stroke him. They had only made it two feet when he pulled her towards him as he leaned against the wall. Licking his neck and nibbling his ear, she was still holding him in her hand and could feel him pulsing as blood flowed through. "Bella," he whispered, twisting them so she was against the wall and he was pulling her shirt over her head.

"Yes!" she cried against him as he moved her bra to the side and took a very sensitive nipple in his mouth.

"I need you. I need you, Bella."

"I'm right here. You're mine," she whispered as he unbuttoned her pants and they slid down the wall together so that his legs were awkwardly underneath her and her pants were around her knees. They kissed for a few minutes longer, before Bella couldn't help but laugh against his lips. "This isn't going to work..."

"Here, stand up a minute," he said, helping her and pulling her pants off the rest of the way, to her relief the panties came off too. When she was free to move her legs, he opened the door to the nursery and ushered her in. "Just in case the kids wake up," he told her, kissing her lips. He sat down again so she took the opportunity to pull his shirt off of him. She really wanted to oggle him a little but he was taking her hand to pull her back down to him before she could really appreciate him sprawled out on the carpeted floor. While she wanted to take it slow, she just couldn't and being that he was out there and ready for her she unexpectedly gave him what she knew he wanted. He was biting his lip as she began to ride him and within seconds, he had a death grip on her hips. He was supporting her as she knelt there and doing the work by bringing his hips up to meet hers, thrusting deeply each time. "I can't hold out..."

That's all it took. He was inside of her for what couldn't have been longer than thirty seconds when she felt herself shudder. The tensing of his body beneath her and his release soon after would have brought her to her knees if she wasn't already on them. They just stayed like that, her kneeling over him, both of them trying to catch their breath.

Without saying anything, Bella and Edward stood up awkwardly. The clothes they were still somewhat wearing were disheveled and wrinkled. Covering the important parts, they quietly made their way back to their married bed. He stepped out of his pants and helped her out of her shirt. They were both lying there naked, just after he'd pulled the blankets up around them. "I'm sorry..."

"God, don't apologize! I loved it..."

"That shouldn't have been our first time together. I feel like you deserved more."

"You weren't the only one wanting it, Edward," Bella said softly, running her fingers along his abs.

Grabbing her stomach, she began to laugh, "You need to feel your son. Give me your hand."

"What is he doing in there?" Edward asked, laughing out loud as Bella felt Masen do what seemed like flipping completely over.

"I don't know..."

"Look at us. Who would have thought when this amazing, stubborn young college girl moved in next door that she would take over the role of my daughter's mother or that we'd be adopting a child together and at the same time she would be pregnant with my son."

"Yeah, really. I mean, I was total jailbait," Bella joked.

"I love you. I loved you that first day I met you and I never stopped."

"I'm sorry I let trying to get pregnant and all the other stress we were both under interfere with us this past year. I should have been loving what I had and I think that's why we were given Robby. It made me realize that having a baby wasn't what makes someone a parent. Kaley taught me that but it really took that broken little boy to drive that home. I love all of you so, so much," she said, starting to cry again.

"Well, I mean, I definitely can't complain about all of the sex...and tonight...well tonight was just..."

"Awkward?" laughed Bella.

"I was going to say amazing but awkward does cover it well. Bells, why didn't you come to me before about wanting to have..."

"Sex?" When he nodded, she took a deep breath. "Think about it, Edward. I know you slept with a few people who probably didn't mean much to you but I just think about Tanya and I automatically feel self-conscious..."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do. I'm sorry but I do and I hate it. Edward, look at me. My boobs are like...scary big. My stomach is covered in stretch marks. Even my face is starting to look like a pumpkin. When you were with Tanya, she wasn't this far along in a pregnancy and crying every second of the day or throwing an emotional fit or questioning you..."

"She also wasn't raising my daughter and helping me parent a little boy who takes up a lot of our energy. She wasn't working insane hours, most spent on her feet only to come home and cook and have dinner ready and have the kid's get their homework done. She also wasn't pregnant while trying to parent two other small children. From what I understand, she didn't go through a pregnancy that was difficult nor did she have medical problems to keep constant watch of.

That's why I didn't tell you about things, I didn't want to overwhelm you more. I just want to protect you. Our sexual relationship pretty much became non-existent because I never wanted you to feel that it was a chore or something you had to work up the energy to do. To be honest, I don't know where you get all the energy you _do _have. It's important to me to provide for all of you and I get scared sometimes when you go to work at seven and don't come home til seven at night. That's too long, Bella."

"I know. I'm working on it. They baby is coming at the beginning on February and I'm thinking about not going back after Christmas break."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know these long hours aren't good for me or Masen. I'm just wanting to make sure that the thirty kids I'm responsible for at school are going to be taken care of when I leave. We're going to just have to make more time for each other. I think Dr. Kramer can help us with that."

"I agree. Back to the original point, you are beautiful to me no matter what. The fact that you're carrying my son is just an added bonus. Now that I know you want it, believe me, you'll be wishing you didn't tell me that," he smirked. For the first time in over a month, Bella lowered the sheet and started kissing him again, letting him see her entire body. "Are you ready for round two?"

She smiled and snuggled into him by turning over to allow him to enter her from behind, alleviating the issue of the baby belly in between. He kissed her neck but she groaned. "That's not a good groan is it?" Edward asked, pulling away slightly.

"No... I really have to pee." Pulling herself out of bed, Bella waddled into the bathroom and she was aware that he was chuckling softly to himself. She also knew that he was anxiously waiting for her, ready to go again.

When she returned, she took her jolly time as he was on the top of the covers, blessedly naked. She got her chance to oggle. The scary part was the longer she stood staring at him, the longer he was staring at her. It was nerve-racking yet thrilling at the same time. He really hadn't seen her quite like this before and from what she could tell from his own body, he was loving what he was seeing. It was a strange feeling, thinking about the fact that they were getting reacquainted with each other. If felt good, though, something she had wanted for a long time.

Two orgasms and two exhausted people later, they were laying together, still connected. "I'm glad you're home, Bella."

"I'm glad to be home."

**So, this was a really long chapter but I just couldn't decide where to stop...so I didn't. :) I hope you liked at least some part of it and I would love to know what your favorite part was. *I didn't forget about what Jake told Bella, it will come out eventually, I promise! This weekend I'm actually going on a ghost hunt...which is something I have never done before. It's going to hinder my ability to write but if you review, I'll try to get something good out to you guys early next week! In the next couple chapters we'll be skipping ahead again and the story is going to start winding down. I'll try to let you know when the end is near. Let me know what you think and if I survive Friday night, I'll talk to you all soon! Love ya lots, LP xx**


	71. Chapter 71

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 71**

Bella closed her eyes and opened them again. Standing in front of a full-legnth mirror she smoothed her dress skirt and sighed. She couldn't believe this was actually going to happen. They were going to find out if Robert Thomas Daveraux would become their son permanently. Forever. First...she had to get through this shopping trip. Looking down at the price tag, she decided to buy it though she never dressed up this much for school and after this week she'd be off until after the baby came. Hopefully, this would be the only time she'd even be able to fit into this skirt.

Coming out of the dressing room, she hungg what she wasn't buying on the rack and made her way out to find Edward. Her husband was leaning against a rack of clothes, messing with his cell phone and waiting for her to find something for their trip to the court house. She couldn't help but smile at the smirk he gave her as he brought his phone to his side and took her in. "Find something?"

"Yeah. An oh-so-sexy conservative skirt and blouse."

"Mmm...I can see the naughty school teacher coming out..."

Bella laughed and kissed his cheek. "Let's go. We've put this off long enough."

They had made the number one parental mistake. It was two weeks until Christmas and not a toy had been bought. When it was just Edward and Kaley, he always felt guilty that he could only afford a few things for her to put under the tree on Christmas morning—of those few things were mainly clothes and things he knew she needed. It had always been hard when he was supporting both of them on a small salary. His parents always gave him things to put under the tree for her and because he would never take that opportunity away from her, he smiled and let her get excited about Santa stopping in. He did have to admit, it had hurt his pride.

He would never forget the first Christmas that he had shared with Bella. While he still didn't have much, and he was trying to help Bella out as much as he could—though she was stubborn and mainly refused his help—the teacher in her overtook their money problems. He had come home from work one night to find Bella on the floor with yards of wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, scissors, and he was pretty sure she had tape in her hair. Kaley was sound asleep for the night and Bella was wrapping craft sticks, pom-poms, glitter glue, bargain books, princess alphabet flash cards, wikki sticks, crayons, and anything else a little girl could possibly want to keep busy. He felt bad that she had spent so much money but she quickly assured him that they were things she had picked up at the local craft shop and had bought through book programs her college el. ed. classes belonged to. All of it had been on sale and cost less than forty bucks.

For the first time ever, this year he had the opportunity to buy for a boy and he couldn't hide the fact that he was excited. While Barbie's were great in small doses, he couldn't wait to buy for blue as well as pink. They had decided to spend the weekend getting things ready for Christmas. Robby had no idea that this might be the only Christmas he would spend with them and they planned to keep it that way. It was painful for them to think of him being taken away and if the little boy knew the truth, it would kill him.

So, on Friday, the kids had worked all evening on picking out a tree, decorating it, and making popcorn garland. The look on Robby's face was absolutely priceless when Edward told him they were going out to find a tree. While Santa never came, neither had a Christmas tree for the little boy. _"You put a tree in here?" _he had asked with his little mouth gaping open. They had picked out the perfect one on his parents property and brought it home to decorate. Bella made apple cider and he played old records of his grandfather's. At the end of it all, he'd lifted Robby up to put the star on the top. It was that moment when Edward truly realized what he could lose. He managed to read them a bed time story as they all sat in the living room and he and Bella tucked both kids in together before he fell apart. For the first time since he had been back and forth with the state, he let his wife see him for what he really was. Afraid.

Since the moment he had met Robby, he knew he would never forget that little boy. For as long as he lived, that starving child would have been on his mind every damn day. He took comfort in the fact that there was no known family for Robby out there. Apparently, his parent's family had disowned their children long ago. Before his and Bella's parents, Robby had never had grandparents to his knowledge. It scared him to think of where Robby would have been had things continued. Robby was an extremely pleasant child and he only strove to make his new parents happy. There was absolutely nothing he could have done to deserve the treatment he received—it was a situation that a hardened criminal didn't even deserve to be caught in.

His still regretted the loss of the oldest Daveraux boy. On the rare occasions that Robby opened up to him or Dr. Kramer about Caleb, it was clear that his big brother had hurt him in ways that no child should go through. At the same time, though, no child should ever be instructed to do such things to another. Caleb was a victim just as much as Robby was. Edward vowed that he would give Robby the life he and Caleb should have been given from the very beginning.

"What are you thinking about?" he heard Bella ask after leaving the check-out counter and telling him she was ready to go to the toy store. The kids were currently at his parents with Lily and Rose. Emmett was slipping further and further into depression and the whole situation had driven a huge wedge between him and Rosalie. It wasn't fair to keep Kaley from her proclaimed best friend, though, and when his mom asked him that morning if he would bring Kaley and Robby down to sled ride with Lily, he jumped at the opportunity. This would give him and Bella a chance to get presents bought and hidden without the kids knowing.

He told his mom no to the kids staying the night, though. They wanted to spend as much time as possible with Robby before Tuesday, when his fate would be decided. Chances were good that even if the courts turned them down for legal adoption, he'd still be with them as a foster child. At least that made things not feel so damning. "I spoke with Erika yesterday before leaving work. She said she gave us a rave review and that the judge would be an asshole if he turns us down."

"That's good. Really, really good. I'm going all out this Christmas. Regardless of whether or not we end up with him, I'm acting as if he'll be with us that morning. He deserves this."

"I know."

"Do you remember our first Christmas together?"

Edward chuckled, "I remember the fight we got into over where we were going to go on Christmas Day. I seriously thought your mom was going to kill me and kidnap you in the process..."

"I couldn't be without you on our first Christmas together. There was no way..."

"And it resulted in us driving six hours that day just so we could visit with both of our families...And that resulted in us playing the 'if you don't get over this, you won't see us at all for Christmas' card. I'm glad we decided that the next year."

Bella laughed at the memory. "I remember our first presents to each other as well..." she smiled, glancing down at her hand.

While times were a bit hard financially for them, they had gone together on Christmas Eve and picked out their wedding bands. It was something practical that they'd need come wedding time and it was also the most important Christmas gift he'd ever received. They had even taken them home and wrapped them for each other. While Bella went all out, wrapping his in an extravagant deep purple box with lots of tissue paper and ribbons, he had stuffed a shirt box with packing peanuts, set the ring inside, and let Kaley draw pictures all over it. The box was still in their bedroom containing important papers such as Kaley's birth certificate, her adoption papers, and their marriage license.

"You know, I don't think I've taken mine off since the wedding," Edward observed, looking down at his own hand. "I'd probably have to cut it to get it off..."

"Well, you have no reason to take it off," confirmed his wife.

Three hours and two trips to the car later, they had the Volvo loaded to bursting with presents. Not all of them were for the kids—a line had to be drawn somewhere, but there were presents for Lily, their parents, James, and Edward had demanded he pick up something small for Masen, claiming the little baby was technically present. He had bought Bella's gifts long ago and couldn't wait to give them to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, resting his hand on her leg as he drove them to Alice and Jasper's.

"I'm alright."

That was all she had to say and he knew she wasn't. "Why don't you let me take you home to rest and then I'll go over and unload the presents?"

"We're already almost there. I'll rest tonight while you cook dinner. I promised the kids we'd bake cookies tonight after we eat so I can sleep while the dough sits."

"Bells, if you aren't up for that tonight, just tell them that. I'm sure I can find something to distract them..."

"I can't dwell on the bad, Edward. If I had, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed since the third month. I just have heart burn. I'll be okay."

He helped her out of the car as Jasper came out to help him carry things in. It had been tradition that Kaley's presents were kept at Jasper's house since he didn't have little ones to find and get into them. At the time, Emmett's and Rosalie's place was too small and Kaley was at his mom's as much as she was at her own house. After the first Christmas with Bella, the rest had been bought and wrapped at Alice's, who helped her wrap and even had her own presents for the little girl.

Alice was on the couch watching some sappy Christmas movie that Bella recognized from when they were younger. Alice was due January twelfth and looked like giving birth was all she wanted for Christmas. Bella had always been tiny but Alice was even smaller than her. Plopping down beside her friend, Bella groaned. "I feel like Masen's pushing so hard on my bladder that if I stand up to go pee, he'll pop out..."

"This little one can't seem to decide if he or she wants to go head or feet first. Every time we go to the doctor the baby is in a different position..."

"Listen to us," laughed Bella. "God, I can't wait to see him! I bet Jazz is excited."

"He's...I think he has mixed feelings. I mean, he's not _unhappy_ but he's not like Edward..."

"Al, Edward's been through this already. I'm sure Jazz just has first time daddy jitters. He'll be fine once the baby comes."

"Well, I want to meet this little one already! I'm tired of being pregnant!"

"I feel like I've just been sick for the past seven months."

"February 12th, huh? A Valentine's baby!"

"I really didn't want to have him in such cold weather. That worries me..."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. How are things with the Robster?"

"He's good but Edward and I are kind of on edge. There's little chance they'll turn us down but there's still that tiny chance and it makes me crazy thinking about it. He's so excited for Christmas. He never celebrated Christmas so this is his first."

"Ugh," Alice said, looking at the clock. "I'm so tired. It's like five o'clock."

"You don't have two more at home to keep occupied," replied Bella.

"I don't know how the heck you do it..."

"I'm done working after this week so I'll be on leave until the end of March. I'm actually looking forward to it. Edward's been trying to get me to stop for awhile now. I have another appointment on Wednesday...the last time we were there the doctor said I was measuring a bit big."

"Well, if you two didn't fuck like bunnies, you might actually know when you conceived him," teased Alice.

"Who's fucking like bunnies?" Edward asked as he walked in with Jasper.

"Alice and I. Sadly you two missed it," Bella said with a wink to Edward as he helped her up.

"I need to buy you a video camera..."

Bela watched from her bed as Edward and Robby got ready for court in their bathroom on the big day. The two were hilarious together, Edward trying to explain to Robby how to put gel in his hair to spike it up. From what she could see, the little boy was making it into more of a mohawk. That was all they needed, taking their five year old into a courtroom to claim they could care for him while he sported a rebellious haircut.

She was trying to keep her eyes open but the night before had been rough and she only slept for about two hours. She was already showered and the only thing left for her to do was put on her suit and shoes. Edward wanted her to go to sleep for a little while but she couldn't help but want to stay up and watch them. Edward had just gotten out of the shower and only had his dress pants on. There was a hand towel thrown over his shoulder and half of his face had shaving cream still on it. Robby had been watching Edward contently until he had discovered his father's hair gel.

Erika, the girl who had conducted the interviews with them and visited the house, along with Irina, Dr. Kramer, and Edward's boss were all meeting at the courthouse in an hour. Kaley was in school. They hadn't told Robby what was going on, just that they were going to visit the court house and that he and Bella would explore and maybe color a little. Edward would be the parent standing in at the actual meeting. She kept reminding herself that this wasn't exactly a trial, no one was fighting them, but it was still scary to know they could be turned down.

Edward's boss greeted them first, telling Bella it was nice to see her again and saying hello to Robby—though Robby cowered away from him. She remembered that in between the time that Robby was in the hospital and when he came to live with them, the little boy had met the man. He had always been nothing but kind to Bella so she chalked it up to Robby just being Robby. Erica walked up with Irina next, both of who knelt down to say hello to the little boy after greeting her and Edward.

When Dr. Kramer arrived, Robby actually walked over to her and gave her a hug. Bella had to remind herself that this woman had helped all three of them in one way or another and there was no reason to be jealous. She was just really, really pretty... "Bella, hey! How are you doing?"

With the kindest smile she could muster, Bella said, "Good...a little nervous...but we're all okay."

In a way that only a counselor could, she touched her arm gently and said a little more quietly, "How are _you_?"

"I'm doing okay...better." A few weeks ago when they started going to her, she had watched as Edward painfully struggled through his session over the death of Robby's brother, it was something that weighed heavily on him and Bella was more than glad the two of them decided to do this together. Of course, when the focus shifted to her, she felt a little blindsided. The good doctor wanted to know a little more about her before they got into the relationship issues. It made sense but caught her off guard.

They were working on her moodiness and the doctor had even thrown out the terms postpartum and depression. Of course, she had pulled Bella aside at the end to tell her that. Bella felt more than relieved with this, all she needed was to add another worry to Edward's insanely long list. It wasn't like she was telling Bella that those things were what was wrong with her—she was worried about Bella after the baby came and promised to give her some literature on postpartum during their next session.

"Alright, Robby," Bella said with a smile, "do you want to go down to the cafeteria and grab some cookies?"

He smiled back and took her hand. Edward walked away from everyone with them until they rounded the corner. They had to bring Robby because there was a chance that the judge would want to talk with him, though both Edward and Bella hoped Erika's conducted interviews would stand alone. Robby had answered numerous questions about his life with the Cullens and when Bella had heard his answers, she had to leave because she started to cry. They were definite tears of joy but hearing him say some of the things that happened to him with his biological parents and then compare it to how good he was treated in his new home was hard to hear and it made her love him so much more.

"I'll come get you if they need one of you. Try to relax." Bending down he gave Robby a hug, "You be good for momma, okay?"

About a half hour later, Bella was sitting across from Robby and coloring the same page as he was when she saw Edward standing in the doorway. Her breath caught as he gave her a small smile and her heart fell when she realized he wasn't trying to tell her discreetly that everything had worked out...he looked concerned. When he reached them, he took Bella's hand in his and sat down in a seat beside Robby.

"Buddy, I need you to look at me." Setting down his crayon, the little guy seemed to sense that something serious was going on. "There's a man upstairs who wants to talk to you. I know that you get scared and it's okay to be scared but he won't hurt you. He's a nice guy and I'll be with you the whole time, okay?"

Bella's stomach was in knots as Edward helped her up and they picked up the crayons quickly. Leaning over while Robby went to throw away the napkin he was using, she asked, "Edward, what's going on?"

"I don't know. The guy seems nice enough and we talked about a few things but then he didn't give an answer. He said he wanted to see Robby..."

"Do you think it's a no?"

"I think things are okay. Don't get worried yet..."

"How can I not..."

She became quiet as Robby came back over. The three of them walked over to the door and out into to the hallway. Bella was pretty sure this was the longest walk she'd ever taken. They came to the meeting room door and she knew it was the right one because everyone who had come to speak on their behalf were sitting outside the room on a long bench. She swallowed hard and followed Edward in.

The judge was a middle aged man who was definitely fed well and had a cheery expression. His hair was beginning to gray and it had spread to his beard. He was there by himself, flipping through what Bella recognized as Robby's file. As soon as they walked in, the man stood and smiled. "Come on in..."

"Your Honor, this is Robby and my wife, Isabella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" To Bella's surprise, the judge actually got down on Robby's level and held out his hand to the little boy. Flinching away, Robby grabbed Edward's leg and tried to hide his face. The judge seemed a little put off but not totally offended.

"Robby, it's okay..." Edward chuckled nervously. "He's a friend. I'm right here..."

Bella watched as her son peered out from behind Edward and smiled slightly. "Are you Santa Clause?" he asked in awe.

Bella's hand shot up to her mouth as she burst into laughter. The judge, who Bella had a feeling was pretty no-nonsense in the courtroom was still kneeling in front of them in shock. Edward, though trying to hide his own laughter stepped in, "Robby, he's a judge, bud. Santa Clause is busy making toys..."

"Robby, I just wanted to meet you," the judge said with a smile, coming out of his shock. "I think you're a very, very brave little boy."

Robby seemed to stand a little taller at that and step away from Edward. "I get to have Christmas this year and daddy told me that he's friends with Santa."

"I bet he is. Do you like living with daddy?"

Robby nodded quickly with a smile before correcting the man, "I like living with mommy, too. Sissy is fun but mommy and daddy have to tell her to share her puzzle pieces. We do puzzles. Sometimes daddy helps us but mommy can't get up off the floor anymore because we're getting a baby."

"Mommy and daddy, huh?" the judge asked with a smile. "You seem like a happy boy, Robby."

"I wasn't before," he said matter-of-factly.

"Well, Robby, it was a pleasure meeting you. Edward, will you please take Robby out to Dr. Kramer for a moment. I'd like to speak to you and your wife in private."

Seconds later, Edward was back. "I'm having trouble believing something," he said with a serious gaze. "I have trouble believing that he's the same little boy whose past has been absolutely horrific...Edward, Isabella, I've seen pictures from when he was assigned to the agency. I've heard testimony from from his school counselor and your boss concerning what his mental and even his physical state had been when he handed over by the state as a foster case. That little boy that just came in here is unrecognizable to me from the stories of his past. I don't know how either of you do it but I commend your dedication to that child and his well-being."

Bella felt herself let out a huge breath and she tried not to tear up. "I see no reason not to award you complete parental rights to the boy that calls you mommy and daddy. Robert Thomas Cullen is doing wonderfully in your care and I am absolutely inspired by that little guy. Congratulations."

The tears fell freely now as Edward turned and pulled her into the biggest hug her tummy could allow. They didn't say anything, there were no words for this. They were being awarded a child who completed them just as much as they completed him. Clearing his throat, the judge congratulated them again and told them where they needed to go to sign the papers to make everything official. Of course, he reminded them that they needed to continue with the therapy sessions and seek help if any problems would arise.

Walking out of the room, as soon as the door opened, everyone stood up and when they saw the tear covered face of Bella along with the smile of Edward, they immediately began congratulating them. Robby clapped his hands, though everyone knew he really didn't understand how monumental that day was for them. Someday he would understand but today they would keep him blissfully in the dark.

As a family, they went to pick up Kaley from school and from there, went to a nice dinner out. Bella hadn't realized how much stress had been put on everyone in their family over this decision and she was more than happy it was unwarranted. She had two more days to get through at work and then she'd off waiting for baby Masen to arrive. It couldn't come at a better time. Her OB had been concerned with her back pain and was considering bed rest after her next appointment which was tomorrow.

As Edward fed her a bite of cheesecake off of his fork and Kaley chattered away about what Robby missed at school, her fears and anxieties of the impending delivery waned. She had her family and they would get through this. Just like she had said to Edward when things had gotten shaky between them, they were going to overcome the problems and they would do it together.

"Well aren't you two just the sweetest dears..." a passing waitress drawled and knelt down beside the table, pulling Bella from her thoughts. "What are your names?"

"I'm Kaley Ann Cullen," Kaley responded by pointing at her chest with her thumb proudly.

"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. What about you, buddy? I bet it's a pretty cool one..."

Robby turned to Bella for reassurance and when Bella nodded encouragingly, Robby smiled shyly and said with just as much pride. "My name is Robert Thomas _Cullen_. It's new."

While the woman couldn't possibly have known what he meant by it being new, she must have chalked it up to kids being kids. "I'll be right back with some cookies for you little ones to take home. You have a beautiful family," she said, addressing Edward and Bella.

"Thank you," Edward sincerely.

"Did you know that, sissy? Daddy told me today that I could have a new last name like yours!"

"Wow. Mommy changed her name before. Grammy said it was because she loved daddy. I told her I love daddy too but she told me that I didn't need to change my name. I wanted to change my name to a flower like Aunt Rose and Lily but grammy said my name was too beautiful...even beautifuler than a flower!"

Edward was chuckling at the exchange in front of them and leaned over to whisper in his wife's ear, "After today, no more name changes. I think our kids think they can change their name whenever they want..."

"If you love someone you change your name so it's their last name. That means you get married. I want to marry Justin Bieber."

Bella watched as Edward choked on his beer and looked at her with a horrified expression. All Bella could do was laugh and pat his arm. "Who the hell is this kid?" he whispered to her.

Shaking her head at his detachment from the pop culture world, Bella shrugged, "I'll introduce you to him when we get home..."

"You know him?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Yup," Bella smiled playfully.

For the rest of their time at the restaurant, Bella laughed as Kaley and Robby continued their comical, innocent exchange. On the drive home, a song came on and Bella burst into laughter when Kaley began belting out the lyrics to a song by her self-proclaimed future husband. "Edward Cullen, I introduce you to your future son-in-law. The Bieber." Edward shook his head, knowing the joke was on him. "I have a feeling Kaley's high school years are going to be very entertaining."

"I'm buying a shotgun."

"Oh, we could even get you a nice lawn chair to sit in on the sidewalk outside."

"Of course I'd need a beer to compliment that set up..."

"I can't wait to take pictures," laughed Bella. "I bet my dad would even lend you a taser..."

"I almost feel bad for the guy," Edward said before reiterating the 'almost'.

**This chapter was kind of hard for me to write. I'm unsure of law situations and so I will remind you that this is fictional and probably not how things would work in real life. I can't believe the support I receive from all of you and am sad to say that there are only probably two or three chapters to go. I am working on a few small writing projects on the side and I'm sure I'll have a new story ready to go eventually. I've also become a beta reader so if you need one, let me know. I love you all, LP xx **

**PS For those who wanted to know, ghost hunting was awesome! My husband did go with me and we visited Hill View Manor in PA. It was without a doubt one of the coolest experiences of my life!**


	72. Chapter 72

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 72**

"Edward, you can stop, ya know..."

"Uh-uh, Bella, you're not taking this away from me! It's one of my favorite fatherly duties."

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed as she bit into one of the carrots the kids had left out for Santa's reindeer. Her husband had just finished setting the presents under the tree and had consumed at least seven cookies already. She had eaten her share of sweets at his parents a few hours ago and decided to skip another sweet snack when she saw how high her sugar was when she checked it upon returning home. "Alright, alright. I just wanted to remind you that you could just put some back in the jar..."

"Nah...besides the kids counted the cookies in the jar."

"They're too smart for their own good," laughed Bella, running her hand under his shirt to feel the muscles of his back.

Her moaned a little and she worked her arm around to his abs. "So, are we following tradition tonight?"

"I think we should...though I'm kind of bummed that we don't get to _really_ follow tradition," Bella whispered playfully into his ear.

"You have no idea how hard this has been. I want you..."

"I want you, too. I also don't want to go into early labor...so...yeah..."

Shoving the last cookie in, Edward took her hand and pulled her back to the bedroom with him. On any other Christmas Eve, after getting back from Carlisle and Esme's and putting out the gifts, they always ended up exchanging their presents to each other. Typically, both of them would be naked, breathing hard, and feeling exhausted as they tore open their gifts. Tonight, though, with Masen causing them to refrain from sex until after he was born—doctors orders—they snuggled into bed fully clothed and had a heavy make out session before handing over the goods.

Edward's was wrapped in a fairly big box and his face lit up when he tore the paper off. A new net-book that he could take with him to work was something that he had mentioned a few times. Bella knew it was way past due for him to get a new computer anyway. Now, he could take it back and forth with him. They had installed some learning games on the computer downstairs for the kids but because it had internet access, they didn't let them play on it often. They could play all they wanted after Edward wiped it clean of anything they shouldn't see and the internet was disconnected from it.

"Bella...this is awesome! Thank you. Alright, your turn. Open!"

With a smile, she carefully unwrapped the biggest package first. It was possibly the softest robe she had ever felt. "I thought you should have something comfortable to wear while off work and everything..."

The next was a was an envelope. Normally, she would have opened what appeared to be a card first but Edward had instructed her not to. She could see after opening it that there wasn't a card but five gift certificates for a spa her and Alice had loved to go to when they were younger—in Seattle. "Edward..." Bella began, a huge smile coming over her.

"You'll need it after the baby comes along. Anytime, as long as I don't have something I can't miss with the department, you just say the word and we'll do whatever we can to get you to Seattle. Even if it's just by yourself..."

"I'm not going to be able to leave the baby. Not for a good many months...at least on an overnight..."

"Then I'll come with you. We'll work it out. I promise."

"Thank you," she said sincerely, snuggling into him and feeling a little dejected when he pulled away and stood up. She watched him walk out of the room and come back in a few seconds. With a big bow on the top, Bella's jaw dropped at the beautiful set of designer luggage. "Edward!"

"I wanted you to know that I'm serious about us visiting your family more often."

"Thank you...thank you. Thank you!" she didn't know what else to say as she pushed herself up and threw her arms around him. When she pulled away he unzipped it and inside were different sized matching suitcases and totes. "This is great! I think we'll actually be able to fit all of our stuff in them!"

"I'm glad you like them."

"I love them!"

"Let's get some rest, love. The kids will be up early tomorrow and your parents, Jake, Billy, and Chelsea should be here before lunchtime."

For the first time in almost a month, Bella slept through the night. Fully aware that this might be the first and only time for a long, long time, she looked over at her sleeping husband and reveled in how comfortable and rested she felt. The feeling didn't last long. "Daddy!" Kaley called, knocking loudly on the door.

Edward rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Come in!"

Kaley sprinted in and jumped on the bed. Edward grabbed her before she could fall back on Bella's stomach. "Kaley, what did we talk about? You have to be careful with mommy."

"I'm sorry...can we open presents? Pleeeeasseeee?"

"Not until Robby wakes up..."

"Robby!" Kaley yelled.

"Shh!" Edward scolded her, "When he wakes up on his own we will go open presents, okay? Why don't you go in and brush your teeth?"

Thirty minutes later and still no noise from Robby, Edward gave in and said he'd go wake him up. While Bella went to the bathroom and cleaned up a little, Edward brought Robby in and picked up the video camera. Finally, they let them go into the living room. The first thing Kaley did was rip open the biggest box she could find after Bella showed her which wrapping paper was hers. They decided to just use two different patterns so the kids would know whose was whose.

While Kaley was truly enjoying herself, it hurt Bella to see Robby so hesitant. "Robby, honey, let me show you. All the blue paper with the snowflakes on it are yours. You can open them..."

"All of them?" he asked her quietly.

"Yeah, baby. Go ahead."

Edward had the camera on Robby as he carefully picked up a small box and undid the wrapping piece by piece. His face lit up when he saw what it was—a fake shaving kit. Ever since the first time Robby caught Edward shaving, he was mesmerized by it. Anything that Edward did, Robby wanted to do it, too: shaving, using hair gel, being a firefighter, and even sitting at the table looking over case files. The kit contained a small can of shaving cream with power rangers on it, a little brush, and a razor with no actual razor blade. "Thank you," he said, sincerely before setting it aside and carefully choosing another.

When all of he gifts were open and the debris from the ripping, shredding, and tearing was picked up, Edward gave Kaley and Robby Masen's gift to open. Surprisingly, Kaley let Robby take the lead, as if even she was enchanted by it being his first Christmas. He opened the box slowly and pulled out a teddy bear which was wearing a little firefighter's outfit. It was perfect. "Alright," Bella said after letting the kids rub her belly where Masen was kicking his little feet, "it's time to get ready for church. Let's go...Grammy, Pappy, and Uncle Jake are coming to visit after."

Church was beautiful as always and Robby's eyes were wide the whole time, taking in the nativity set and the beautiful red and gold poinsettias that lined the outer isles. When the beautiful notes of Silent Night filled the air around them, Bella immediately teared up and pressed her palm to where she could feel the baby moving. This was the song Edward had sang to him just last night after they opened their presents and were about to go to sleep. Edward's voice calmed the baby and Bella wondered if that was the reason for her good night of sleep. Either way, Edward reacted to it by placing his hand over hers. She couldn't be sure but she could have sworn she felt Masen pushing back.

When they got home, Edward began getting ready for their guests as Bella helped the kids organize their toys so that the living room was usable. It wasn't until she saw him pull out a bottle of wine to chill that she decided he needed to know. The kids were occupied with their new games so she joined him in the kitchen. "Before Jake and Chelsea get here...there's something I want to tell you. First, Jake is going to ask us both to be in the wedding. Chelsea mentioned it to me before and with Quil...well...he needs someone to pair me up with and he wants you there."

"That's great. I'd be happy to..."

"The wedding is set for March."

Edward put the bottle on the top rack, closed the door, and leaned against it. "They just got engaged..."

"Ours was quick, too," Bella reminded him.

"Well, you were already living here and we were raising Kaley together."

"Well...there's more of a reason..." Bella said, biting her lip.

"Is Jake getting re-deployed?" Edward asked in shock.

"God I hope not...no...look...they don't want everyone to know..."

"What's going on, Bella?" he asked suspiciously. "No secrets. Remember?"

"It's not my secret, though..."

"What?" Edward asked at her fear of telling him. "Is she pregnant or something?"

When Bella pursed her lips, Edward's jaw dropped, that was all the confirmation he needed. "Holy shit, Bells! Does..."

Putting her hand over his mouth, Bella leaned into him, "Watch the language! The kids are in the next room..."

"Who all knows?"

"I think just Jake, Chelsea and I."

As she busied herself with the vegetables, he put the turkey in the roaster to start it for dinner. They worked in silence before he asked, "Is this the reason they're getting married?"

"No," she said with conviction. "It's the reason Jake didn't want to wait until Christmas. He found the pregnancy test the week before my visit to Seattle. He didn't want it to seem like that was the reason...he didn't want her to question why he asked her. So, he did it before she could officially tell him..."

"So he's lying to her already?"

"No. He talked to her about it after she told him officially. She's about two months along right now and that's why they want to do the wedding before the baby comes..."

"People can do math..."

"That's not what this is about. He wants to do things respectably. They're going to move in together but not until after the wedding. Edward, he's happy," Bella said, setting down her wash cloth and looking at him. "You know, I never felt for him what he did for me. Still, the year I moved out here his best friend died. He joined the military, went through hell, and nearly lost a leg over it. He comes back beaten up physically and emotionally to a home that reminds him of his painful past. For once in his life, he's happy. This time, I have nothing to do with it. _For the first time,_ I have nothing to do with it..."

"It's a strange feeling isn't it? Knowing someone inside and out, getting each other through the rough patches...and then one day...they're happy. Whether you're in the picture or not..."

"I'm sorry...I wasn't...Edward she was never happy without you. That's why it didn't work out..."

"No. Rose was happy, Bella. I don't know where everything went wrong but she was. She's lying to herself when she says she doesn't love him."

"Then why is she leaving?" Bella asked, frustrated.

"For that exact reason. It hurts for her to be around him..."

"He's not okay, either. I hope it hurts her to see him like that."

"I hope so too."

This surprised Bella. Ever since the truth came out and Rose and Em started down the winding, treacherous path of the divorce, a lot changed in the dynamic at the fire station. While Rosalie had once been in love with taking over the role of Annie, she struggled with seeing Emmett. In the beginning it was because he was deeply depressed and hard to talk to. Now, only a month later, it was because of someone else. Neither of them would say it to each other, but Bella and the rest of the gang weren't stupid. Lauren Mallory had caught his eye, and while _she_ may be oblivious, no one else was...including his ex-wife.

In the beginning the red-headed twenty eight year old was a strange addition to the team of men who were closer than brothers. Bella automatically wondered why a small woman such as Lauren would want to join those ranks. Quickly, those feeling dissolved. The pretty girl, originally from Portland, was married to a cop who died in a fire. She moved to the small town where her aunt and uncle lived to escape the harsh reality of what happened back home. Back in Portland she had worked as an EMT and upon moving to Forks, had decided to try out firefighting. She was beautiful, broken yet still trying to be optimistic, and it really didn't surprise Bella that Emmett seemed to have fallen for the new girl.

Edward was trying to stay out of it but she knew he and Rosalie would never have the relationship they used to and she felt slightly guilty. At the same time, she was glad to see that Emmett and Edward were getting along so well. Rose had broke the news just a week ago that she was leaving the station...and rumors began to fly that she was leaving Forks.

"Alright, it's Christmas. No more doom and gloom," he said, pulling her into him and kissing along the side of her face. "Go check your sugar and I'll finish up in here. They should be arriving any minute now."

"Ugh! I can't wait to see everyone!"

Almost as an after thought, Edward replied, "About what you said Jake was going to ask us, it's fine with me but remember that March is only a few weeks after your due date..."

"I already talked to him about that...he brought it up. It's Jake, Edward. Nothing bad is going to happen to me."

It couldn't have happened at a worse time, or a more coincidental one. Renee and Charlie had just arrived with Billy, Jake, and Chelsea in tow. While they were having a big dinner together, lunch was going to be some leftover carved ham and vegetables that Esme had given them from the Christmas Eve dinner the night before. Then, presents were to be opened, followed by the large supper meal. Bella was excited to have her family in her home and was looking forward to every minute of it. Once everyone was sitting down and Edward said a quick prayer and toasted everyone, the wonderful sound of the fire alarm cut through the air. This was the first time it had gone off for Christmas and Edward sighed loudly, giving Bella an apologetic look. On cue, the house phone rang and he grabbed it from where he was at the table.

"What's happening? Alright," Bella heard him sigh before looking irritated. "Where's her mother? You mean to tell me it's Christmas Day and you can't get a hold of her to keep an eye on Lil?"

"Tell him to bring her here," Bella said, jumping up and walking over to stand by him.

"Bella said to bring her over. You want to just drive us both? Alright, see ya soon."

"What's up?" she asked, wanting details after the phone was down.

"House fire in the next county. They need help. Em has Lil for the afternoon but he can't get a hold of Rose to come get her. I'm sorry," he said turning to everyone, "I've got to go get ready. Enjoy the food...save me some," he said, ruffling Robby's hair.

Sitting back down, Bella started conversation with the company and her dad told them a story about some of the nights he was on call. Before he could finish, Edward came back out and headed downstairs. Excusing herself, Bella followed and watched him as he bent over to lace up his boots. "Be careful...take your time..." she said, getting that worried feeling she got every time he was called out.

"Always. Go back up and eat. Rest."

"I'll wait until he gets Lily in here and then I''ll take her up with me."

Putting on his thick, fireman's coat, he grabbed his helmet and gave her a kiss. "I won't be long...I think they just need some extra hands."

"Go do your thing. I won't open presents without you."

Emmett's truck pulled up seconds later and it was funny to Bella to see him opening the back door of his huge, masculine truck only to pull out his tiny daughter bundled up in pink. "Thanks, Bella. I owe you one..."

"Not after all the help you've given us with Kal's. We'll be fine. Just be careful."

"Alright, I sent Rose a text saying that you have her. If she shows up, she can take her but I don't know where she's at."

Bella just nodded and reassured him again as Edward kissed her one more time and touched her stomach, promising to be back soon. Not thinking, Bella almost tried to pick Lily up before remembering she wasn't supposed to be lifting. Taking the three years old's hand instead, Bella lead her upstairs after helping her take her little princess boots, scarf, mittens, and jacket off.

"What's going on, man?" Edward asked, glancing over at Emmett as they sped along the only main road in Forks on their way to the station.

"She wants to take Lily..."

"Today? Was it your day to have her?"

"Yeah...that's not what I mean though. She's talking about moving..."

"How far?" Edward asked, suddenly feeling sick.

"Two and a half hours."

"What about Lily?"

"She wants to take her," Emmett said, shaking his head.

"They can't just up and leave like that," Edward gasped, "she's your daughter, too!"

"The court always rules in favor of the mother. I'm afraid to fight her because I'm afraid she'll really do it. I thought it was empty threats until last night when she dropped the bomb on me that she was looking at apartments up there..."

"Well, it's bullshit that she wants to take her away from you."

"Isn't it, though?"

The two sat in silence until they got to the station. Rosalie never did show up there and Edward figured she must really be done with it. Jasper and Lauren were already ready and Tyler was dressing. James was walking in right behind them. "Christmas fucking day..." Tyler exclaimed, shaking his head when he saw them walk in.

"If we needed the help, they'd be there for us. Quit your boohooing and get your ass ready to go!" James quipped back. Typical James.

"What's wrong, Crowley? Too many Christmas cookies slowing you down?" shot Lauren, with a smirk on her face.

"Haha..." was all he said back, which could easily have been replaced with 'fuck you'. It was no surprise to anyone that the stress of the baby and an actual relationship all at once was causing Tyler to miss a few trips to the gym lately. While Lauren wasn't around to have seen him before, she heard the guys get on his case about it—and she had the balls to use it against him. Edward had liked her from the beginning.

Edward laughed as he got ready and climbed up after Jasper into the engine. James took the driver's seat while Lauren rode up front with him. Everyone else was in the back...bitching about the never-ending Christmas music. Well, almost everyone, Edward was thinking about Bella at home without him...he couldn't imagine what Jasper was going through. Alice had only visited for about an hour at his parent's house the night before. Bed rest was an absolute for her and Edward knew from Bella that a huge fight had blown up between the two soon-to-be parents. He saw both sides, she didn't want to miss Christmas and he didn't want anything to happen to her. Jazz was anxious about the whole baby thing and Edward didn't know if it was good or bad.

There was one other person Edward noticed wasn't involved in the flying insults and sailor talk. He caught Emmett watching Lauren intently. Taking a deep sigh, Edward fought the inner struggle of whether or not to say anything to him. He deeply wanted to stay out of this situation with Rosalie and Emmett but not at the expense of their team...or the new player. Leaning over slightly, Edward said quietly, "Don't do this, Em. Not unless you know precisely what the fuck you're doing."

He responded as expected, "Don't take_ her _side."

"I'm not and you know it. The ink is dry, man. You're divorced. You want pussy, I'll fucking take you to the bar and play your damn wing man myself. She just lost her husband, Emmett. Don't pull her into your shit."

"Why? You already call dibs? You want to take her, too?" Emmett asked harshly. Edward opened his mouth to say something but Emmett closed his eyes and shook his head. "Look...I didn't mean that."

"I know you didn't fucking mean it or I'd have to kick your ass and I don't think the hospital is a great place for us right now...we both have kids to get home to," he smirked.

"You're right, we both would have ended up there," laughed Emmett.

"God, the lecture I would get from Bells..."

"Hah! You're worried about your wife? You know 'the stance'?"

"The one where Rose puts one hand on her hip and then does that weird karate chop thing with her other hand?"

"That's it. My Lily has that down pat. It's insane how well she imitates Rose. My three year old scares me..." he said, shaking his head at how ridiculous that sounded.

"Did you hear about the fake shaving kit we got Robby for Christmas? He watches me every morning..." Edward reminisced, knowing the tension between them was gone.

"Do you ever wonder what are kids are going to be like when they're our age?"

"I have. I worry sometimes. Robby's doing so well but...he's an at-risk case, Emmett. The statistics for a child who goes through what he did aren't good. I think he can do a lot of good in this world though because he did go through terrible things and he understands how people should be treated."

"What about Kaley?"

"Kaley is...I have no idea who Kaley will end up being when she gets older. I want her to be herself first and foremost but who knows what she'll do; journalist, race car driver, actress, future President of the United States...a third grade teacher..."

"Do you ever worry that she'll end up like...her biological mother? I mean, she looks so much like her..."

"Never. She's beautiful and God knows she didn't get that from me but that little girl is Bella's through and through. She's honest and feisty and opinionated and ridiculously stubborn yet no matter how frustrating she can be, all she has to do is bite her lip and look at me with the look of 'I'm sorry' and all I see in her is perfection. She got that from the only mother she's ever known and it makes me love Bella so much more."

"I'm scared she's going to take her," Emmett said, shaking his head and Edward knew they weren't talking about Kaley anymore.

"I know things aren't going as planned between you and Rose but I truly can't see her taking and _keeping_ Lily away from you. You're her father..." Edward said again, exasperated.

"Why is she doing this?"

"I don't know, man. I have no idea."

"Secrets don't make friends!" Tyler called from a few seats away from them as they pulled up to one of the biggest house fires Edward had even seen. It was going to be a long afternoon. As they jumped out, Tyler shook his head, "You two are like little, gossiping church ladies..."

Clock watch started about an hour ago and with every second, Bella felt like it was another whole minute. After lunch had been eaten and cleared, Bella told Jake she had discussed things with Edward and they would both feel honored to be apart of the wedding. They let each kid open one gift to hold them over until after dinner—which was supposed to be on the table in forty-three minutes and with Edward not home yet, present opening was moved to after dinner. Finally caving, she clicked on the tv.

"Bells, sweetheart, you're going to wear a path into the carpet," her mother said, looking up from the photo album she and Chelsea were going through. "Come sit down before you go into labor."

"I'm just worried. He left at one. That was over four hours ago."

"Baby, you look tired," Renee said sweetly as Jake came crawling up the stairs with all three kids hanging on him, causing Chelsea to remind him to be careful with the kids and himself. Bella had to smile at that. Still, her mom continued. "I can finish dinner if you want to go in and rest for a little while..."

"Yeah, Bells, go rest. We can handle them..."

"No..." the phone interrupted them for the second time that day. Her heart pounding in her chest, she grabbed it off the hook. "Hello?"

"Bella?" Rosalie's voice came over the other end.

"Yeah?" she asked, disappointed that it wasn't Edward.

"I just got Emmett's messages. Is Lily okay? I'm on my way over there now..."

In the background, some sitcom played on. Bella was hoping the news would be on but there was no such luck. "She can stay with us until the boys get home. She's fine...Kaley and Robby like having her around."

"Did you hear from the guys yet?"

"No. Why?" Bella asked a little more harshly than was warranted.

"Well...did you hear about this fire? It's pretty wicked. Something electrical went awry and the house went up. The place is huge..."

"If something bad happened, they would have called and they haven't."

"I'm sorry...I was just wondering," she replied, obviously getting that Bella wasn't okay with her at the moment. "Bella, look, I'm sorry all of this is happening. I'm not trying to upset you..."

"Rose, I'm super pregnant, super exhausted, and super worried about my husband. If you want Lily that badly, then you can come get her but I'm just letting you know that she's having fun and she's fine with being here. Emmett drove Edward to the station, they'll be coming home together, and he'll want to see her and pick her up. I could tell he didn't want to leave her at all without a parent on Christmas Day and I'll remind you that you are the reason that even happened."

"Don't even put that on me. I wanted her today and he begged me for her because his parents were going to be away this week and he didn't want to be alone!"

"Doesn't that say something to you? That maybe, just maybe, he's lonely?"

"I think he's doing fine with the rookie at the station. I'm sure she's keeping him company..."

"Rose! You are the one that did this! I'm not going to keep going around in circles with you. Unlike you, I'm actually worried about Emmett's safety right now. I have to go. If you want to come over, come over."

"Bells? Hey..." Jake was saying softly beside her as she hung up the phone. She realized she was shaking. "Is it always like this when he gets called out?"

"No. I guess sometimes it is..." she felt flustered and had a hard time getting out her words. "It's just never been on Christmas and it's hitting me that I'm far along and if something would happen he wouldn't get here that quickly..."

"Bella, if you went into labor, all it would take is a phone call and he'd be hear in like 30 seconds flat. You're psyching yourself out. You need to just calm down. Let me get the turkey out and start carving it."

"Actually, I can't lift the turkey out of the oven anyway," Bella said, feeling pretty pathetic.

Jake just laughed, "Go relax, preggers. I got this. Charlie! We're on turkey detail!"

Rolling her eyes, Bella saw that there was still a plate of food from lunch that had been Edward's sitting on the table. Picking it up, she went to toss it out when Robby came running in and practically grabbed the plate off of her. "No!"

"Robby! You don't yell at people like that, mister!" Bella scolded.

"Daddy said to save him lunch!"

"It's almost dinner, bud. He'll get fresh food for dinner."

"He told me to save him some!"

"Robby..."

""Mommy, please," he pleaded with her, almost starting to cry.

Setting the plate back on the table, she bent down and hugged him. "Okay. We'll wait."

By the time the news came on, the fire must have been put out because they were reporting on it in the past-tense. About ten minutes later she heard Emmett's truck doors open and close, causing Jake to flinch. "It's just the guys," she reassured him, knowing loud noises sometimes upset him.

"Yeah...sorry..." he said, embarrassed.

Smiling briefly at him, Bella felt that smile spread as the front door opened. All three kids were running down the stairs to their daddies and Bella hurriedly told them to wait. Both men were covered in ash and sweat. "Let them relax a minute!"

Of course they completely ignored her and Edward hugged the kids as he kissed her. "You look exhausted, baby. Did you guys eat?"

"We waited for you. Come on," turning to Emmett, Bella said, "we set a place for you and Lily both. We'll find you something to change into, you can shower in the kids' bathroom while Edward's in ours."

For a second, Bella thought he was going to argue but then he thought better of it. With enough sincerity to break her heart, he nodded, "Thank you, Bells."

Dinner was served as Edward told everyone about the call and Bella told him and Emmett about Rosalie's phone call. Thankfully, Robby didn't insist Edward eat the leftover lunch that had been sitting all afternoon. Emmett left right after dinner on account of Lily not having a nap all day and he figured he should take her home to relax and play with her new toys—Bella figured she'd be out cold in about an hour or so.

Renee and Charlie had gone way overboard on both kids and like she and Edward, had bought a few small things for Masen—including a warm blue fleece blanket that Bella couldn't help but run her hands over. It was what her parents got her, though, that she loved the most. A brand-new camera that had the ability to take video. "So you can send us every milestone Masen has," her mother said, giving her a hug and rubbing her belly.

As everyone was getting ready to head back to Seattle, Renee made a comment about how great Chelsea was with kids. Bella thought nothing of the comment but Jake had never been good at lying...and as she was going to find out...neither was his fiance. Watching Jake swallow hard and glance to Chelsea, Bella knew Billy and Renee were looking at him in concern. "Jake?" Billy asked. "What's wrong, kid?"

"Dad...um..."

"Geesh, Jacob, relax," Renee laughed before her smile faded because Chelsea was now breathing hard.

"Jacob, what's going on?" Charlie asked, as if interrogating him. Bella felt bad for her friend.

After looking to Chelsea, who nodded her head in encouragement, though it was obvious she was terrified, Jake walked over and put his arm around her. "There's a reason we're pushing the wedding ahead..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Chelsea nervously blurted out, "I'm two months pregnant."

**This chapter was a little longer again and I figured you wouldn't mind. Things are going to be wrapping up soon and so I'm having to weave everything together to come to a conclusion...which is hard to do. I'll try to update as soon as I can :) Thanks for your patience and your reviews. You're all totally awesome! LP XX **


	73. Chapter 73

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 74**

Edward held his breath as everyone stood around awkwardly staring at each other. He felt for Chelsea and thought about having to admit to his parents that he was getting a divorce and that his ex was carrying his child. It was hard and he realized a stigma was still attached to getting pregnant before getting married. It was clear that Renee and Charlie were waiting to follow Billy's lead. While silence claimed everyone, Edward shivered at how Jacob would feel when they broke the news to Chelsea's parents.

Finally, Jake seemed to have had enough of his father's expressionless face, "Dad, come on. I love her. It happened and I have a lot of money coming in and we're buying a home and I had the ring bought long before I knew she was having a baby..."

Billy shook his head and put his hand up to silence him. "Jacob...Jake...I just need a minute. I mean, my kid is having a kid. I'm just...it's a bit to take in."

"Billy, the kids are growing up. Look at our Bells, she's been a mom for three years and there's another one on the way. Alice is having a baby now, too. They aren't teenagers anymore..."

"Renee, everyone, I'm not_ unhappy_. I just wish your mother was here, Jacob. I'm proud of you. Son, if you're happy then I'm happy. Really. I am."

Jacob hugged his father and Edward watched in amusement as Renee bounced excitedly over to Chelsea and pulled her into a tight hug, "Sweetheart, don't cry!"

"I'm sorry...I just...I was so afraid to tell everyone. I didn't know what you'd think...I love him..."

"We know honey and we do too! Ugh!" she cried pulling Bella in for a hug as well. "I love you all!"

Edward laughed as Charlie shook his head and he wondered how the two of them had found each other. Charlie was the most serious person he knew and Renee was the most bubbly...after Alice. He realized then that Alice may have gotten a lot of her personality from her friend's mom. While Bella was the perfect mix, Edward hoped she never changed. When Kaley was older and needed her in a way a daughter needs her mother, he prayed Bella could be there for her. He smiled at the prospects of their future.

After the excitement died down and the kids got in on it, Edward decided to pull Bella over so she could lean against him. He loved the company but the second they were out of the house, he was going to get her tucked into bed. He began to think about other things he was dying to do with her in bed but quickly remembered that it would be a few months before that was a possibility—and that Charlie Swan was standing less than a few feet away from him.

"Okay, Renee, Chelsea had a rough morning. Let me get her home."

Edward smiled again, for the first time he was glad Jacob Black had been there to get Bella through hard times before he came along. Jake was honestly a good guy. Sure, he messed up. He was in love with Bella and Edward knew love made you do stupid things. Now, though, Jake realized that he had found the one he was meant to be with. Edward was more than happy for him

Waving, he closed the door behind his in-laws, and shooed the kids upstairs to play with their new toys. Turning to Bella, he kissed her forehead and led her upstairs and back to the bedroom. "Why don't you get some rest and I'll get the kids ready for bed?"

"I want to take a bath. I'll be in there...and when you come back in here..." she said suggestively.

"I'll give you a massage and we'll cuddle until we fall asleep," he finished for her, giving her a kiss before leaving her alone to draw her bath.

The kids were just lying on the couch and Edward knew they were exhausted. "Let's go brush teeth, guys. Come on."

By the time Edward got back to Bella, she was resting her head leisurely back against a soft towel as she soaked in the warm bath. She was beautiful. He always though her name suited her well. Eyes still closed, she smiled and opened her eyes as he approached her. "Your son doesn't want to calm down."

Kneeling down and resting his hand on her belly, which was sticking out slightly above the water, he sighed, "I'm sorry about earlier, Bella. I didn't want to leave you or the kids."

"Edward, you never want to leave. I know it's not like you're asking for it."

"Do you want to know what Robby just said to me?"

"Hm?"

"I asked if he had a good Christmas and he told me he likes Christmas but he doesn't like Christmas when I leave to save people," he said with a frown.

Bella shook her head and took his hand, "Robby has told us a million times that he wants to do what you do when he grows up. He's proud of you. We're all very proud of you...but that doesn't mean that we don't miss you when you're gone. Thankfully it's usually only a couple hours and you're home. Today was just a bad day to have to go and it was an unusual call. Please, don't let this get to you. He was having a blast today with Jacob and and my dad. He'll be fine."

"I just feel like I've ruined Christmas for my son. His first Christmas, might I add."

"Hand me that towel," she said, before standing up carefully. He helped her up and wrapped her in the soft, monogrammed material before helping her put on her new robe. Drying her hair, Bella pulled him with her into the bedroom so that they could both sit on the bed. "You didn't ruin anything. I know the last thing you wanted was to have to leave today."

"It's getting harder and harder, Bells. I'm just wondering if maybe it's time to leave..."

Tossing her wet hair behind one shoulder, he watched as Bella sat and contemplated what he had just said. Surely she didn't like him doing this just as much as he hated having to leave her but he knew the department was just as much her family as it was his. Finally, she shook her head and said carefully, "I don't want to try to sway you one way or the other but I will say that there are pros and cons and in the end you'll have to deal with it regardless of your decision. I love having you home with me and when the baby comes, I'm going to need you. At the same time, they're already scraping for people and I think you enjoy it more than you realize. Don't jump into this because you got called in at a bad time. Think about the guys but think about what's best for you..."

"I want what's best for _us_. For you, me and the kids."

"Edward, we're fine. We'll be fine. Honestly, I don't know how I'd handle myself if I had a husband who worked normal hours. I don't know any different with you because this was who you were when we met and I've long ago accepted it. It's Christmas. No more department. This decision will be here tomorrow."

"Mallory! Get your skinny ass over here and do a shot with us!" Cam yelled as Bella looked on from her seat—which was Edward's lap. New Year's Eve was always a good time with the crew but this year was definitely different. Cam, Ryan, and Tyler had stepped in and taken over the roles of Edward, Jazz, and Em. With Emmett in a depression that broke Bella's heart, Jasper a nervous wreck waiting for his wife to go into labor, and Edward dealing with his own stress, no one seemed to be into the whole celebrating thing.

Lauren smiled faintly before walking over to them, her arms crossed crossed over her chest. Bella knew something with her wasn't right, like she was feeling vulnerable...scared. The kids were with Lily as the three of them spent New Year's Eve with Esme and Carlisle. It was Edward and Bella's last hoorah. The doctor was worried about Bella, estimating that she may have been farther along than they originally thought. There were numerous jokes by Tyler that they were having twins...but there had also been numerous ultrasounds done and there was only one little baby boy to be seen.

As Alice was at home, Jasper was as well. They were expected to have their little bundle of joy delivered soon and they didn't want Alice out in the cold if she didn't need to be. Bella on the other hand, wanted to have this last chance of being out of the house before everyone went back to school and work and she would be at home by herself. Rose, of course, wasn't around. She technically had Lily for the weekend but Esme had offered to keep her like she had the previous year when they all were at the station, partying and waiting for the ball to drop. Of course, not everyone got drunk. Car accidents were normal on nights like this one and it was decided by the older members to let the younger ones have their fun.

Lauren, Bella and Clair were the only females and Bella seemed to be the only one to notice her friend's discomfort. The shots were done and Bella glanced over at Emmett. They had found out that Rose was moving and she planned to take their daughter about forty five minutes away—much less than how far she had originally wanted to go but she was afraid to leave her dad. Her father, who was once a prominent and educated man, was beginning the first stages of Alzheimers. He was stepping down from the political front and it was heart breaking to watch. He was just in his sixties, the disease having snuck up on him quickly.

Edward hadn't spoken to Rosalie in a few weeks and Bella knew that he was struggling with not calling her to see how her dad was. Bella knew he was hurt that even though Rosalie knew just about everything that was going on with Edward, she had kept everyone in the dark over her father's downward spiral. Emmett knew but the rest of them had found out when it hit the paper that he was stepping down from his position and Emmett spilled the reason why. The man had never particularly liked Edward but this was the first time Edward realized things were really falling apart between him and his friend.

"You okay, love?" her husband asked, pushing her hair behind her ear and leaning his head into hers.

"Yeah," she said before nodding towards Emmett, "just concerned. Help me up. I want to talk to Lauren, maybe you could speak to Emmett? It just doesn't seem like anyone's really in the mood to celebrate."

Her back was already bothering her but as she stood up, all she felt was pain. Regaining her composure she made it over to Lauren and nudged her arm, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing..."

"It's not nothing. Talk to me, Lauren."

Looking around, Lauren took Bella's arm and led her upstairs away from the guys. "I'm trying to keep a platonic relationship with the guys here," it came out as a statement and ended there.

Scrunching up her face, Bella nodded, "Is that bad?"

"I...I probably sound so...vain...but...Bella, am I responsible for Rosalie leaving?"

"No." Bella answered her quickly and with conviction. "They've been having trouble off and on for years. I can see where you're coming from but this wasn't you."

"She just seemed so hostile and I swear I never did anything. I mean, Emmett's eyes wander more than they should..."

"That's not your fault. He's a good guy, Lauren. He's just going through something bad and he found out this week that Rose is taking his daughter with her and moving."

"That's horrible."

"Just don't let her get to you. She's upset and looking for a scapegoat."

Edward walked over to his friend and kicked his booted foot, nodding towards the exit of the hall, out to where the trucks were sitting. When they both leaned against the step of an engine, Edward said, "If you don't want this divorce, you have to fight."

"She left me," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Edward ran his hands through his hair and sighed, "Why don't we go out for a little while? Tomorrow night. We'll go to the bars and just...hang out."

"I don't want to take you away from Bella."

"We won't go far. It's Forks, no matter where we go I'll only be a few minutes away. I'll drive and won't drink in case something happens. Come on, what could possibly go wrong?"

Emmett gave a non-committed nod and Edward stood up to go back into the hall to find his wife. "Edward?" Turning back to look at his friend, Edward was almost afraid of what Emmett had to say. "She's not a bad person."

Edward felt like a train hit him. Of the harsh times he'd gone through in high school, of everything he helped her deal with as they grew up, this was the hardest time she'd ever gone through and he realized she had no one. They had been a close knit group and now that she was walking away from it; she was facing things alone. He knew she still talked to his mom but he never asked his mom about her. He had turned that into an unwritten rule. The guilt in that was great. "I know that. It's just getting harder to believe."

The next night, Bella popped a movie in and sunk down on the couch with a kid on each side. Walking out of the bedroom, Edward walked towards her smelling of cologne and dressed to go out. Kneeling down in front of her, he grabbed her hands. "You call me if you need anything. If for whatever reason you can't reach me on my cell, call Emmett's. If it's an emergency, call 9-1-1 and then call me. If you can't get a hold of anyone call my parents..."

"I'll be fine. Go."

Bella watched him fight with himself. She knew he wanted to go out and it had been his idea but she also knew he was kind of freaking out about it. Turning to the kids, Edward kissed them both on the forehead. "You take care of your mommy, okay? Listen and be good. I love you guys."

After he finally left, Bella sat back and got comfortable again. The movie was one that Esme had bought the kids for Christmas and she found herself laughing right along with her two little ones. She liked spending time like this with them and she knew that Emmett needed a friend. When it was only about an hour and a half later that the movie was over, Bella noticed both kids were asleep on the couch. Helping them both wake up and crawl into bed, she was on her way up the stairs of the basement when she jumped at the sound of the fire whistle. Laughing at herself, she continued up the stairs slowly, barely making it to the phone that was ringing on her kitchen counter.

"What's up, James?" she asked, feeling suddenly wide awake. James never called them first.

"I need to speak with Edward." The way he said it made her feel even more sick.

"He's not here. He and Emmett went out for a little bit. You could try his cell..."

"Shit...thanks. I'll talk to you later."

Annoyed that he wouldn't tell her what was going on, Bella called Alice's cell. "Alice, did James call you guys?"

"No...why? Jasper's not on active right now. They act like I'm going to pop right now. We still have a week..."

"He just called here but it was like he didn't want to tell me what's going on. He always calls Emmett first..."

"You don't think something happened to Rosalie do you?"

"I...I don't know..."

"James is calling the house. Can you hold on?"

A call waiting beep went off on Bella's end. "No, Edward's calling. I'll call you back."

Edward didn't give her time for pleasantries. "Bells, I'm on my way to the station..."

"What's happening? Is it a fire?"

"Yeah...Emmett's parent's house."

Fear gripped Edward as they pulled up out front of Emmett's parent's house. The call was put in by a neighbor and Emmett didn't know if his parents were home or not. He had tried to call both of their cell phones as Edward sped to the station but there was no answer. He couldn't imagine what his friend was going through and Emmett wasn't offering any hints. The giant teddy bear sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep, not moving an inch. The second they were at the station, Em took off running. Edward could hear him yelling to James from outside before stepping into the large bay. "Do you know if they're home? Are they at home?"

Edward came in behind him and saw that everyone was getting dressed. Knowing that standing around and talking was doing nothing to help, he frantically started to throw on his clothes. They all knew that if there was a fire, they got ready and left as soon as possible. When it was one of their own, there always seemed to be an overwhelming feeling of urgency even though they couldn't move any faster in either situation. Lauren was suited up first and came around to Emmett, grabbing his shoulders, which she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach. "You need to relax. We're going to get there and then we'll know for sure what's happening. Get dressed."

Edward threw the clothes over to Emmett and just as he was pulling on his coat, Edward was surprised to hear the side door fly open and to see Jasper running through it. No one had to ask what he was doing there. Grabbing his overalls, jacket, and helmet, Jasper didn't bother standing there to change. "Let's go! I'll get ready on the way!"

The scene when they arrived was anything but good. They would later find out that the McCarty's had turned on the dryer before going to bed, the electrical fire started there and soon overtook the two story house. This also meant that his parent's were home and the older neighbor, who Emmett had known his whole life, was standing by a tree in her own yard. She looked like she was going to throw up. As the guys immediately started to unwind hoses, Emmett was making his way into the house blindly as James went over to question the woman. Edward, who was usually the one to go in first, tried to catch up to him. When he stepped through the front door, he was hit with a ridiculous amount of heat. Had it not been for the two people trapped upstairs, he might have stepped back and took a minute to look around.

For a firefighter to breathe in a flame, it ultimately meant death. Unlike a lot of the house fires they were dispatched to, this place was just one big ball of fire. It wasn't even the smoke which was making his eyes water that was causing him to worry, there was a good chance he was going to end up with some burns. He did take the time to carefully climb the stairs. There had been an issue on Christmas with the stairs collapsing and he wasn't taking his chances. Emmett was only a few feet in front of him and he could hear someone behind him but didn't take the time to look back. Outside of one particular door, Emmett stopped and tried the knob, pulling his hand back quickly and Edward realized the knob was hot. At this point, Edward was already starting to feel fatigued from the heat and he began to feel sick as he went over to where Emmett was and yelled in, asking if they were in there.

He barely heard it over the crackling of the fire and the fast beating of his heart but there was a faint 'yes' on the other side of the door. That was all they needed. Throwing their bodies against the door, they got it open and were met with a sickening scene. Emmett's father was gasping for air by a window frame that had burnt curtains over it while his mother was on the floor by the door, still on her knees and trying to hide from the smoke. The room wasn't as bad as the rest of the house but they had to move.

Without thinking, Edward bent down, picking up Emmett's mom and carrying her out the door. He tried his best to shield her from the flames and when he turned a funny way coming down the stairs, he bumped the wooden banister, which came apart as a whole and fell to the floor. Getting her outside was successful and he didn't set her down until they were in front of the waiting ambulance. She was turned around, still looking at the house, obviously concerned for her husband and son.

Jasper was out the door first, Emmett's dad was leaning against him, yelling something Edward couldn't quite make out until they got closer. "Emmett...you can't...I'm fine!"

That's when Edward knew Emmett was in trouble in the house. Jasper ignored the distraught father and practically dragged him to the ambulance by his wife. Cam and Ryan were working the hose as Tyler was calling in back up. Edward realized Lauren must still be in the house. He went upstairs again, this time the heat was finally starting to die down but the smoke was like a fucking brick wall. No one could have survived in their for less than a minute without gear.

The ceiling of the second floor had come down. Thankfully, Lauren seemed unharmed but the pull door for the attic had caused the debris to build up in front of the bedroom. Debris was partially blocking the door to the room and Emmett must have been on the other side of it. There was a three foot opening above the bedroom door from when the door shifted down when the ceiling fell. Flames licked up from the bottom of the door and Lauren was trying her damnedest to free the doorway up.

This was wrong. If Emmett was in there, he could just push his way through. Looking up and over the door, he saw Emmett on the floor at the same time that Lauren yelled that he was unconscious, having been hit by one of the beams in ceiling. Immediately he began joining in at pulling the wood, trying to dislodge it from the door frame. He watched as she tried to step up onto the attic stairs, which were now laying in front of them, and Edward realized she was trying to get into the opening. "What are you doing?"

"I'm no help to you moving this! Let me get in there to see if he's still alive!"

Edward didn't take time to argue with her when he reminded himself that she had been a trained EMT. If anyone could help his friend, it was her. She was also the smallest on the team by far. "Carefully!" he relented, bending his knees to pick her up and gently hoist her over. There was no easy way to set her down and she yelled for him to let her go. Somehow, she fell but manage to land somewhat gracefully. She went to Emmett while Tyler, Jasper, and even James stepped in behind him.

Edward told them quickly what was going on as he was beginning to get dizzy. He couldn't remember ever having been so overheated during a call. This wasn't normal for them. First and foremost, they got the victims out. Then, they would stand back and just try to get the fire out. There were very few times they were ever in a house for this long of a time. Nausea was hitting him hard but he refused to throw up in his helmet—which he knew he could never take off in the house.

All four guys began pushing and shoving at the blockage and after about another minute, they managed to pull it free and they went in for their brother. While Emmett was still wearing his helmet, there was blood running down his arm and landing in a spot on the floor. Edward let James and Jasper in to attend to Emmett while he tried to get out of the house. He felt sick. He knew he had still inhaled to much smoke and his lungs burned with a vengeance. He had fallen down the stairs once before crawling on all fours out onto the front porch. He felt the gash in his hand from trying to break his fall before he saw it. Standing up proved to be too much for him and he made to the bushes just in time to revisit his dinner.

Bella called Alice back immediately after hearing what happened and her friend was almost hysterical. In the time Bella had been with Edward, he'd never been called out for anyone he knew—except Tanya. This was a whole new ball game and Bella felt fear creep into her veins. Looking at the clock she realized the news was on and sure enough, this was the headlining story. It was reported that a neighbor had called after seeing the house on fire and that the fire department was called out. Bella watched the house in flames and the camera turned to catch the large engine pulling up.

Apparently, that's all they had to show at the moment and went to a commercial break. She decided to call Esme to come stay with the kids. She had no idea how upset Emmett was going to be or how this whole thing was going to turn out. There was still no word on whether or not his parents were home. Esme said she'd be over after trying to talk Bella into staying home. Bella had already made up her mind. She was just throwing on layers of warm clothes when the house phone rang and Rosalie's number came up. "Bella, are they okay? Please, God..."

Rosalie sounded sincerely distraught and shaken. "I don't know...I'm going over there now..."

Esme showed up a few minutes later, helping her into the car, just as she finished checking her sugar. She wanted to be there for Emmett but she wouldn't risk her son in the process. She was just about to pull out when a horn sounded behind her and she saw lights in her rear view mirror. She put the car back in park and in seconds, Rosalie Hale was knocking on her driver's side window. "Out. Come on. I'll drive us."

"Where's Lily?" Bella asked, not arguing and throwing her door open.

"With Carlisle," she laughed lightly. "I'm kind of out of options for people watching my kid. I couldn't leave her with my dad."

Looking over at the girl that she could decided whether to slap or hug, she said sincerely, "I'm really sorry about your dad, Rose. I am."

"Thanks. Now come on, I need to be there for Emmett..."

"Rose, I'm going to say this as easily as possible but what if he's upset that you're there?"

This seemed to quiet even Rosalie Hale and Bella immediately regretted saying it. "Rose, I'm sorry..."

"Don't. Don't apologize. Never apologize for the truth."

"I envy that of you, Rosalie."

"I think we all get that I say more than I should. It gets me in trouble. A lot."

"I think you're honest."

"I never said I'm not."

They became silent until they pulled up at the house. There was another firetruck that Bella didn't recognize pulling in beside the one from Station 88. Ryan appeared shortly after as Rose put her window down. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Clearing her throat Bella leaned so she was in front of Rosalie, looking up at him. "_We_ are here to support Emmett."

"Look, with all due respect, Bells, I think you should go home..."

"At least tell us that the McCarty's are okay," Rosalie spat.

"Em's parents are going to be fine. They're in an ambulance on the way to the hospital..."

"Why is there another ambulance then?" Bella asked, getting annoyed and knowing he was hiding something.

Bella recognized Sam from the other county coming towards them. "Where the hell is everyone?"

Ryan looked back and forth between the car and the firefighter. Finally he said to the girls. "You two stay here."

He walked away and was obviously giving the details to Sam—the same details he wouldn't tell the girls. The other department was pulling out their own hose when Bella turned to say something to Rose but then she heard Sam through her own opened window. "What the fuck is Cullen doing?"

Her head snapped immediately towards the house and sure enough her husband was stumbling up the front steps in an effort to get back in. He was carrying his helmet—not even wearing it. Bella knew that they never stayed in the house this long. They got everyone out and then fought the fire from outside. This house was definitely still blazing. She sure as hell knew that the guys were supposed to be wearing their damn helmets.

Every step Edward took brought his Bella to mind. Dehydration had gotten the best of him and after vomiting while he friends were stuck in that house for what felt like hours, he managed to make it back up the stairs. He wanted to call Bella, to tell her he loved her. Emmett was a big guy and he was one of the few who would be able to help lift him. It must have taken him longer to recover than he'd thought. He could see Lauren carefully maneuvering the stairs and acting as eyes for Tyler who was walking backwards, Emmett's legs in his arms. Jasper and James were carefully holding onto his torso. He looked over everyone, checking for any injuries. The only one who appeared hurt besides Emmett was Lauren, who he was pretty sure had burnt hands. She must have taken off her gloves to help Emmett.

Sam came running up to him at the door, yelling something about being a little smarter, when he saw the group. His face fell and his jaw dropped. The two guys moved out of the way and Sam motioned to the EMT's for a stretcher. Before they could even get him situated, they were looking at Laruen's hands and she was motioning up for them to help him. He shook his head, trying to tell them he was fine as he stood at the bottom of the steps. He just looked up, trying to convince himself that he really was okay, when he saw Rosalie Hale sprinting to Emmett's side.

Sure enough parked by the firetruck was Rose's car. He squinted, trying to see what the hell Ryan was doing as he held the passenger door shut. His first thought was that Lily was in the car but he knew Rose wasn't that stupid. Taking a few steps forward, he realized that his hip was hurting him more than he'd realized. With a pronounced limp, he made it to where they were with Emmett and watched as Rosalie was trying to remain calm, though sheer panic was written on her face. They were trying to get the stretcher through snow and Edward grabbed on, helping them to pull it.

The EMT yelled over everyone despite the chaos, "Who are we taking?"

Emmett was an obvious but Lauren called Edward out as well. "I'm just dehydrated!" Edward yelled back to them.

"Bullshit! Come on, Cullen!" Lauren yelled at him.

Before he knew what was happening, they had him sitting on a bench in the ambulance, chugging down some water. It wasn't until he looked up when they began to pull away that he saw her through the window. Bella was standing beside Rosalie's car, tears were on her face, and her lips were almost blue. He couldn't stop the ambulance, they needed to get Emmett to the Emergency Room. Rosalie was visibly shaking and Emmett was still looking lifeless beside her. Fighting tears of exhaustion, Edward pulled out his phone and sent Bella a text. **I love you. **

**Hmmm...what's your reaction to this one? In the next chapter, we'll be at the hospital, then celebrating a birthday, then there might be a surprise...Please review and I'll update quickly. Love, LP xx**

**For those of you who read my author's notes, I don't typically recommend stories—in fact I never have. I do have one that I think deserves more attention than it's getting and so I would love to talk it up. The story is 1979 by scorpsifer. It goes back and forth with a very emotional Edward who just lost his wife and memories of his high school years where he dealt with Bella. This is not your average lovey-dovey E/B story. Bella has a dark secret and he's the only one who really knows about it. There are six chapters so far and each on has left me wanting more. I believe it's her first fanfic but she's a really good writer and I know a knew chapter is coming soon ;) **


	74. Chapter 74

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

**Chapter 74**

"Bella? Bella!" Tyler called to her as she stood there in the snow. "What are you doing here?"

Tired of the questions, Bella spun around to face him. "What do you think I'm doing here? This is about one of us. I just wanted to be here in case Emmett needed someone to talk to..."

"Bella, you shouldn't be out here right now!"

"You're right, I have to go to the hospital," she said, walking around to the other side of Rosalie's car.

"I don't know if that's a great idea. He's just dehydrated..."

"Tyler, my husband is in the hospital. I'm going."

Getting behind the wheel of Rosalie's car, Bella got as comfortable as possible and thanked God the keys were still in the ignition. Her phone was buzzing the whole way there but she wasn't willing to risk looking at her phone while trying to navigate the snow covered roads. When she finally got to the hospital, she parked and pulled out the phone. There was a text from Edward and another from Esme. She smiled at Edward's and sent a message back to Esme, telling her that she would call her soon.

The woman working the front desk recognized her and quickly pointed her husband out. Bella found it pretty sad that she was well-known in the emergency room. The ER seemed busy and she figured they probably didn't have a place for him yet. A nurse brought water over and knelt in front of Edward asking questions. Before Bella could get over to him, he stood up quickly and headed for the bathroom. The nurse let him go, continuing to scribble something down on her clipboard. Thankfully, Emmett was out of the waiting room and Lauren wasn't around either. Edward came out a few minutes later looking almost white.

"Bella," he said, as if muttering a prayer of thanks.

"Are you okay? What's going on?" she noticed her voice sounded weak.

"I'm fine. I'm just really, really dehydrated. They keep giving me water but I'm throwing it up..."

"Mr. Cullen? We've got a room for you," the nurse said, coming over and looking at Bella before adding that the doctor wanted to put him on an IV drip.

"No. I don't want to stay. My wife is very pregnant..."

"Mr. Cullen," the nurse said, this time firmly, "you will be of no help to her in this state. Stay tonight, get some rest and let the IV do it's work..."

"Edward, listen to them," Bella finally spoke up.

"Fine. You're not staying with me though. There are too many germs in a hospital that can get you sick. Who's with the kids?"

"Your mom. Your dad has Lily at their house. Your mom's at ours."

"I fucked up," he said, obviously pissed off at himself.

"Stop. Let me help you get settled and then I'll go home, okay?"

"Ask my mom to stay with you guys tonight. She won't mind."

"Yeah, alright."

"Mr. Cullen, please. We need to get you into a bed," the way the girl was speaking to him was starting to rub Bella the wrong way—as if he was an elderly man who couldn't hear or make decisions for himself.

"He's not deaf and he's sure as hell capable of knowing what he's doing," Bella said, crossing her arms and stepping up to the young girl in the pink scrubs.

"Bella..." Edward began but leaned back on the wall, obviously feeling dizzy.

The nurse looked like she'd been slapped in the face and her mouth opened up and closed a few times like a fish before she blurted out, "I'm sorry..."

Bella was focused on Edward now, acting as if she could support him. "Come on, Edward. Nurse, where's his room?"

Bella could tell he was dizzy and the nurse let her help him out of his clothes and into the flimsy hospital gown. He had a deep gash on his hand and his hip. Bella made sure to tell the nurse about it while he was throwing up into the pan they had given him. A doctor came in briefly, looked at his cuts and ordered the nurse to bandage him up once the IV was in. Bella watched the young girl work on him and felt sick. It had turned into a long night. When they were finally done poking and bandaging him, they left them alone. "Go rest, love. Just because I screwed up doesn't mean you have to be put through the wringer for it. Go home to our bed and get some rest. I'll get my dad to bring me home tomorrow morning..."

"I'm only upset because you got hurt and now I have to leave you here," tears began to fall and she was irritated with herself. "I hate not having you home at night."

"I know, Bells. Come here."

She approached him slowly."I saw you without your helmet on going back into that house. What the hell were you trying to do?"

"I was going to put it back on. I was nauseous..."

"Then you shouldn't have gone back in!"

"Bella, I thought Emmett was _dying_..."

Quietly, Bella shook her head, and took his hand as she sat down awkwardly beside him. She figured she would have done the same thing had she been in his shoes. Still, going in was one thing. Going in without a helmet was something entirely different. "Tyler said the roof collapsed and fell on Emmett. You were going to go in there without a helmet..."

"I said I fucked up..."

"I was scared for Emmett too but I can't do this without you!"

"You came out in the fifteen degree weather, we know you're at least seven months pregnant, and here you are at two am in a hospital full of germs. I can't do this without you, either!" Edward regretted it as soon as it was out of his mouth. "Bella..."

"I'm not going to argue with you while you're laying in a hospital bed," she said almost sardonically. "I'm going home."

Bella watched as he sat back against the pillows in defeat. He didn't say anything but Bella knew if he were to open his eyes back up, she'd see tears in them. Stopping as she came to the door, Bella let out a deep, quiet breath and walked slowly back over. Bending down over him, Bella wrapped her arms around his shoulders as best as she could with her belly and his hospital bed. She pulled away, watching him open his eyes and sure enough there were tears. "I'm never going to stop messing this up."

"People make mistakes. It's what we do. You're right. I shouldn't have come out tonight but I did because I love you. I'm right. You shouldn't have tried to go back in knowing you were sick and you shouldn't have stayed in there as long to begin with but you love the team and you did it anyway. The important thing is that you're safe and I'm not sure how Emmett's doing but I heard they have him in surgery. His parents are okay. Next time, you'll be more careful."

"There won't be a next time, Bella. I'm done," the tears were no longer there but Bella didn't need them to see the anguish in his eyes. He was stepping away from his family and after things hit close to home today, she knew it was even harder for him to step down.

"Is this what you really want?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'll get used to it, though."

She didn't know what to say so she just...didn't. After five minutes of silence passed, and a nurse came in to check his heart rate—which was abnormally high when they first came in, Bella leaned down and kissed his lips. "I know. I seriously need to brush," he laughed faintly.

"I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back again and trying to get comfortable.

Before leaving the room, Bella turned to him, "I love you, too, Edward."

"Are you just going to stand there all damn night?" Edward asked the shadow in his doorway a few hours later.

"Edward," she said, surprised that he saw her, "I...I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm having my vitals checked every half hour, I have a pregnant wife at home—who no one seems to know how pregnant she actually is, and one of my best friends almost died tonight. I'm not fucking sleeping." Rosalie sat down in the chair beside him. "How's Emmett doing?"

"He's out of surgery and doing well. He's not awake yet. They discharged his parents but they no longer have a home...so..."

"Where are they staying?"

"I gave them the key to my apartment. They're here, though. They won't leave Em."

"What about you?"

"He's too out of it. He doesn't even know I'm here."

"Rosalie, I think you're being a bitch," he said bluntly.

"Thanks for cushioning that, Edward..."

"If Tanya tried to take Kaley, I'd never forgive her."

"Don't compare me to _her_. He's not the only victim here, Edward. You don't understand what things have been like between us lately. I know I asked him for the divorce but it wasn't exactly me asking. It was just an empty threat when he told me that he didn't like the fact that I spent time at your mom and dad's. He said he didn't like your mom watching Lily. Edward, my father is losing his mind. I have no other family. Ever since I lost my job after I had Lily, he expects me to be the one who raises her. By myself. I might as well be a single mother whose only job is to run the station. That's a lot of responsibility. I've been trying to talk to him about having another baby and he tells me no every time because he tries to tell me that he doesn't like how I'm raising Lil. I'm doing my best."

"Do you love him, Rosalie?"

"Yes."

"Not as much as me?" he asked, as if needing that reassurance and not letting his annoyance at having to be reassured be hidden. This was the first time the topic was broached between the two of them.

"No...I can live without you there. I can't live without him. I'm just trying to make a clean cut...to get out of this God-awful little town where you're labeled as a whore or vain or..."

"A bitch?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize all of this was going on."

"No one does and I'm not trying to smear Emmett, either. It's just that he didn't even fight it when I mentioned divorce."

Edward shook his head, "You two need to talk. He misses the hell out of you, Rose. Just don't take his kid away, okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry...for everything. I'm just angry but I realized how quickly people can be taken away and I don't want to lose him. I don't want this divorce anymore."

"It's already done, Rosalie. Give him some time and tell him what you told me. Tell him how bad he's hurting you. Tell him you want to go back to work. That you want a baby and you want his help with Lily. Tell him all of this."

They were quiet for awhile. "You don't know when the baby's due?"

"No. Apparently the doctor thinks that she's closer to delivery than we thought and I don't...I mean how does that fucking happen?"

"It happens because you couldn't keep it in your pants and Bella was too stressed out to realize that she was pregnant earlier. It's not like she's that much further than we thought. The baby's due in February."

"I just..."

"Worry. I know you're scared and I think you're a good man for it. She needs someone there for her." They sat there not speaking before Rosalie stood. "I hate to leave you with your thoughts because you're your own worst enemy, and you always have been, but you really do need to rest. I just wanted to see that you were okay."

"I'm getting there. It was nice hearing from you, Rose. Oh, hey, January 23rd is Robby's birthday. We're having a party at supper time at my mom and dad's. You and Lily should come."

"Thanks. I'll let you know."

Bella hardly got any sleep the night before and she was sure that her husband's mother hadn't either. "I'm calling Carlisle...he's still not here..."

"Bella, it's seven in the morning."

"What if something's wrong?"

"The hospital would have called us. "

"I don't want the kids to know about this...I hope he gets home before they're up..."

"Why don't I take them for a little while? I'll bring them home around dinner time."

"I don't want to ask you to keep them again..."

"It's no problem! We can go sledding. They love it. You need some rest."

A half hour later, the kids left with Esme and Bella had the house to herself. Calling Edward's cell, he reassured her that he was fine and that Carlisle was finishing up with a patient before coming to get him. He was already discharged but visiting with Emmett. Emmett wasn't doing so great. So, Bella wandered the house, debating on whether or not she should go back to bed. She found herself downstairs in front of the computerwhich Edward had pretty much wiped clean of anything the kids shouldn't see but the internet was still connected.

Opening up some of the sites that the Lamaze classes recommended, Bella read through information, trying to calm herself down. It was the typical go to the hospital, have the baby, come home process but she was finding herself more and more anxious about it. There were always complications and she didn't know how she'd handle it if they had to do a c-section. Then, something caught her attention. It was a forum for women who had just given birth. The word 'still-birth' struck her and her hand immediately went to Edward's very active son. With her hand on her stomach, she read the woman's heartbreaking story of having to go through giving birth only to be told that her baby was gone.

The next few stories were typical stories she had heard time and again. The women went into labor and it went on for hours and then they got to bring the baby home and it was all worth it. Those were the stories that calmed her nerves. Then there was another one about a woman who was unable to leave the hospital for six weeks because of complications before the baby even came. She wondered what would happen with Kaley and Robby if she was unable to come home for that long.

Already in tears, she stumbled upon a woman's story that she knew she'd never forget. This woman had given birth to her baby, her very much _alive _baby, but the baby suffered from visible deformities. The doctors then explained that the child would have little to no chance of living for longer than a few hours. Bella's heart fell to her stomach as she read the rest of the story. According to the mother, the baby died forty-five minutes after she was born because she was having trouble breathing. Trisomy-13 had become the most horrific thing Bella had ever heard of.

Typing this genetic disorder into the search bar, most things that came up were non-profits to help families with this difficult problem. Some of the the children lived with moderate difficulty but she stumbled across another support site that tore her apart. A woman had posted a comment about her daughter Cassie. Cassie was born with Trisomy-13 and it had torn apart her parent's marriage. Her father had wanted to let her die, not out of not caring but because he didn't want her to go through a life that would be so difficult, only to watch her die at a young age. Her mother had fought for her and they'd gone to doctor after doctor only to be turned away. One woman commented on it, telling her that little Cassie was in her prayers. The response the mother gave back made Bella sob. 'Thank you for your kind words but Cassie went to heaven at the beginning of April.'

"Bella?" her husband called from upstairs. Wiping her tears away, Bella stood up quickly—well, quickly for a pregnant woman—and called out to him. He came down asking where they kids were.

"Your mom took them," sniffled Bella.

"Bella, come here," he pulled her to him. "I'm sorry. I'm going to talk to James tomorrow after work and explain that I can't do this anymore..."

Shaking her head, she started crying again. "No, you were just trying to help Emmett and I understand...I'm just scared, okay?"

"I never should have gone back in there..."

"No! Now. Why I'm crying!"

"What?" he asked, confusion and concern both clouding his expression.

"Edward I never did this before. I'm going to have a baby. There's going to be this little tiny baby that I'm responsible for and then we'll have the kids..."

"_We're _responsible for this baby. I know you're scared. I know that but you need to trust me when I tell you that you are safe and so is this baby..."

"_Nothing_ has been normal about this pregnancy. I don't really know when I actually conceived, I've been sick for literally six months straight, I feel like my back is slowly breaking, the heartburn never goes away, and now they don't know when I'm going to have him. Why the hell would the delivery go the _normal_ way?"

"There's never a guarantee! You can't let yourself think this can only go badly. Have faith that you can do this and remember that little boy."

"What if there's something wrong with him? What if he has autism or..."

"Bella, you need to stop."

"We need to think about these things! I was reading online about these women who have had babies but the babies have problems and their husband's can't agree what to do and sometimes they just want to let them die..."

Grabbing her by the shoulders, Edward bent his knees so he was looking right in her eyes. "I would never, ever rather have my child die than deal with their problems. Please calm down and let's talk, okay? I know you're anxious."

"What if something happens to me? What will happen with Kaley and Robby?"

"I can't even think about that. We're not going to. It's okay to be scared. I just need you to trust me," he hugged her tighter.

"Promise me you'll be there. Even if this happens tomorrow. You'll come home..."

"Of course I'll come home. The second you'd call I'd be there!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just..." after a long yawn, she wiped her tears again and shook her head.

"Baby, you're exhausted. No wonder you're so upset. Let's go take a nap."

"You look tired, too," she commented as she followed him upstairs.

"I was worried about you."

Bella got four, wonderful, and uninterrupted hours of sleep. She could have slept for the rest of the night—Edward told her he'd pick the kids up by himself, but her cell phone started to go off, waking both her and Edward. "Can you get it?" she asked him since the phone was on the other side of the room and she'd never get it in time. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed and went for it. She was so tired she was already almost back to sleep, not paying attention to what was said, when he laid down beside her again and gently nudged her awake.

"Bells, do you want to go to the hospital..." Edward began before she cut him off.

"Why? Oh, God! Is it Emmett?"

"No, nothing like that!" He was smiling now. "Ally's off to the delivery room."

When Alice had called, groaning and unable to talk very long, she had told Edward two things: 'I promised Bella I'd call' and 'It could be awhile until the baby actually comes.' With this bit of information, Edward got Bella to eat a fairly decent lunch/supper, called the kids, and even watched the news to see the report of the fire from the night before. "So, with Emmett down and Jasper out, how are you guys going to swing it if there's a call. It's just you and the new guys."

"James suited up last night and Ryan and Cam pretty much know what they're doing. Lauren's catching on fast and it's nice having someone smaller for when there's a sticky situation like last night." He had relayed the story to her as they ate dinner. With a new understanding, she saw why he did what he did the night before but that didn't mean she still wasn't upset with him.

"I think maybe you should wait a little while before pulling out. Really. Unless you have your heart set on it, I just think they could really use you."

"They knew they were losing me when the baby came for a little while anyway."

"They expected Jasper to be back when you would be leaving. Edward, I could have this baby tomorrow!"

"You are not going to go into labor tomorrow, Bella." Then with a smile, he asked, "So it really wouldn't upset you if I stayed on?"

"No! I never told you to leave. You are the one that said you wanted to be done. I'm on board whenever you are."

"I think I'll stay. Just for a little longer."

"I support this and you no matter what you want to do. Just be more careful and you better be there if this baby comes, got it?"

"Got it."

"Well, it's been a few hours, you ready?"

They were met by Alice's parents when they first walked into the waiting room. Jasper's family was on their way but probably wouldn't be there until the next day. Immediately, Alice's mom gave Bella a hug and patted Bella's own belly. While her father and Edward exchanged hello's, Jasper came through the door, looking a little frazzled. "Hey everyone! No baby yet! She's pushing, though!"

With that, he was gone. Bella laughed at his excitement and Edward just shook his head. They settled in to wait and a little while later, Carlisle joined them to say hi. Lily was with Robby and Kaley when he left and Esme had been making them hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Shortly after, Emmett was brought in by wheelchair and there was none other than Rosalie Hale pushing him through the door. It wasn't that Em was now unable to walk, he wasn't able to be discharged yet but they'd let him come visit: they had discovered a wheelchair on their way. Edward couldn't believe how ridiculous his friend could be.

"Em, do you need anything while I'm here? I can sneak out and get you something better than hospital food," Rosalie said with a smile.

Emmett gave Rosalie a look Edward hadn't seen in months. A genuine, toothy grin. "As much as I'd love that...I'd rather you just stayed."

"I can do that," she said before turning to everyone who was gawking at them. "Any news on baby Whitlock?"

"Nope," Bella said, "Jazz came in a little bit ago and said she was pushing. Alice told Edward when she called that it would probably be a while, though."

Awhile later, Edward stood up to stretch. "I know you want to stay but I don't know that it's the best idea for you to be here in a hospital right now. What if you catch something?"

Just as Bella was trying to decide if she should go home and come back the next day, they noticed that the doors had calmly opened and their friend was looking at them. "We had a girl," he said calmly, as if trying not to cry, "Mackenzee Reese Whitlock. Ally's fine, just really tired—she's insisting on cleaning up a little and redoing her makeup before you come in. Give us ten minutes. She's amazing."

Bella didn't know who he meant, Alice or his new daughter, but it didn't matter. She knew he was happy. So, they hung around a little before Alice's mom couldn't take it anymore—Bella thanked God everyday that the Brandon's had taken Alice in, they were good people. Bella grasped Edward's hand as they made their way to the maternity ward room the Whitlocks were in. He took his time with her, probably figuring she was an emotional, anxious mess. That was all gone the second she saw Mackenzee. The newborn was super pink with a bit of a cone-shaped head. She had beautiful blue eyes—though they were only open for a few seconds at a time.

After Alice's mom had her, she handed her to Bella, who was sitting on the bed with Alice. Tears formed in her eyes as Edward came over and ran his finger over the tiny baby's arm. "She's beautiful, Ally. Jazz, man, you did good!"

"After nine months and about seven hours of labor, I'd say she's still definitely worth it," laughed Alice, bending down to kiss Mackenzee's forehead while Bella held her.

Everyone started talking to Emmett about how he was doing and Bella felt Edward get closer to her and bend down to whisper, "You can do this, Bella. We're going to do this together. He's going to be fine." Looking down at her best friend's pride and job, Bella believed him.

"It's my birthday!"

Bella laughed as Robby bounced around Esme and Carlisle's with Kaley. He had informed everyone of this fact as they walked in the door. Ryan and Cam were the two most recent arrivals and they high-fived the little boy before going their separate ways. It didn't get past Edward that Ryan bee-lined over to Lauren's side. She was currently bouncing Tessa on her hip, giving Clair a break. When Rosalie walked in, Bella was a little surprised and she caught Edward giving her an apologetic smile.

"Did you invite her?" she asked, pulling him to the side.

"Yes. I told you she stopped by when I was in the hospital. When she left, I mentioned it to her. She brought Lily. I did the kids and Emmett all a favor."

"Does Emmett know?"

"I told him I invited her. Are you not okay with her being her? I can..."

"It's fine. I just don't want any drama ruining things for Robby. This is his first ever birthday party. He didn't even know he had a birthday until he started school and Clair brought it to his attention."

"I know. Things are going a lot better for Rosalie and Emmett. Everything will be fine."

She kissed his cheek then, "Jake and Chelsea called and said they probably weren't going to be able to make it. Chelsea is on call and it doesn't really work if she's three hours away."

"Are your parents still coming?"

"They should be."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I can't sit still but that's all I want to do. I want to sit."

"If you need to rest, I'll help you get settled in my old room. Just say the word, okay?"

"Yeah. Come on, I think I hear my mom."

Her mom had found baby Mackenzee and was just telling Alice how she loved the adorable outfit the baby was wearing. Alice, ever the fashion designer, beamed. When Bella walked in, her mom came over and gave her a one-armed hug. "Hey, baby. You look exhausted."

"Thanks," Bella said dryly.

"Just think dear, in a few more weeks we'll have our own little one in the family!"

"Mommy," Kaley came running over to her, "Uncle Emmett's here. Can we have cake now?"

Bella laughed, "Go get your brother and we'll sing to him. Alright, everyone, into the kitchen!"

After happy birthday was sung and the cake was devoured, Bella finally let Robby open his presents. Always being one to share, when Lily tried to open some of them, he let her. Bella knew most kids would throw a fit if someone else tried to open their gifts and Rosalie must have known that too because she and Emmett both tried to stop Lily until Robby said it was okay. The little boy didn't have a mean bone in his body and Bella prayed it would stay that way as he got older. Abuse happened in cycles and she just hoped that they had gotten him before that poison could set in.

When all of the presents were opened, Cam stood up and told Robby to follow him. Bella looked to Edward with a confused look and he just shrugged, obviously having no idea what was going on either. The group ended up outside on the porch watching as Cam and Ryan lifted a miniature Jeep out of the back of Ryan's truck. Bella tried not to cry as Robby's face lit up and he hugged both guys. It was very uncharacteristic for him to be that close to men willingly, with the exception of Edward and Jacob.

While they showed Robby how to get in, turn it on, and let him ride around the shoveled drive-way, they came over to her and Edward. "You guys didn't have to do that," Edward said with a smile.

"Well, we wanted to get him a fire truck but we couldn't find one. So, we went with the Jeep. It's even blue like yours."

"Thank you," Bella said, hugging them and giving each guy a kiss on the cheek.

"So, uh, how much longer are firetrucks going to be in your future, man?"

Crossing his arms and taking a deep breath, Bella watched him struggle with it. "James told you guys, huh?"

"Yup."

"I honestly haven't decided yet. Jasper is coming back in a couple weeks and I'll either be taking a leave of absence when that happens or when the baby comes, whichever comes first. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and they might decide to induce so we'll see what happens."

"The baby could come tomorrow?" Cam asked, shocked.

"No," laughed Bella. "Probably not until next week at the earliest. I'm hoping things go smoothly. They say if you're on your feet a lot, delivery isn't as hard. I never sit still so my fingers are crossed that it's not going to be that bad."

The party was on a Tuesday night and Renee and Charlie stayed the night at their place, having taken off work the next day. Renee helped Bella get the kids bundled up and delivered safely to school. Edward had taken off as well due to a dentist appointment in the morning and Bella's OBGYN appointment in the late afternoon. Esme was going to get the kids from school so they didn't have to worry about them before heading to the doctors. It was nice for the four adults to have some time to themselves.

While Edward and Charlie made a big breakfast for everyone, Renee and Bella went through the nursery. There were still a few things that needed done and Renee helped her organize everything so it was baby ready. Bella ate very little that morning, unable to decide if her feeling funny had to do with the anticipation of the news the doctor would give them later or the emptiness she felt when her parents left after just about every visit.

When Edward went to his appointment, her parents packed and got their car loaded up to go back home. They promised to tell everyone she said hi and Bella promised to call as soon as they heard what the doctor had to say. Renee had given the bank notice that the second labor began, she would be leaving for Forks. She wanted to be there when the baby came and Bella had already had to make it clear that herself and Edward would be the only two in the delivery room. She wanted this to be a time for them to bond with their son and everyone would get their chance to see him once he was born.

She was left alone and in that time, she got organizing and reorganizing all over again. She even decided to clean out the kitchen cupboards. Little things out of place had been driving her crazy lately and she cleaned like it was her sole purpose in life. She only stopped when the back pain was unimaginable. This was something she definitely had to talk to the doctor about. She worried that maybe something was wrong with her spine. Today it was worse than what she could remember. Lately, the heartburn was killing her as well and so she decided to plop down on the couch with a glass of milk and relax until Edward got home.

Before Edward got there, she could feel Masen pushing on her bladder and she massage the area that she could feel his little hand. A few times, the pressure made her wince. She made about four trips to the bathroom before Edward even got back. Masen hadn't been as active today as he had been lately and she wondered if he had tired himself out after reacting to all the noise from the party the night before. She laughed when something loud would happen and she could feel him jump. "How are you feeling?" Edward asked when he came home with a clean bill of health.

"It literally hurts to stand. My back is killing me today."

"Let me go jump in the shower and then I'll call the doctor. Maybe they can get us in a little earlier..."

"Alright. What do you want for lunch?"

"Surprise me."

Bella grinned and forced herself off the couch when she heard the water kick on in the bathroom. She made it to the kitchen and reached for the handle to the refrigerator when it happened. Warm liquid oozed down her leg. Cursing, Bella's whole face turned red. "Thanks, Masen. I thought I was going to make it through this pregnancy without peeing myself."

Turning to walk back to the room, praying Edward wouldn't laugh to hard at her, she felt pressure. A lot of pressure. At first she thought maybe she just had to go to the bathroom again but then she felt feelings she had never felt before. Bracing herself against the wall in the hallway, Bella began to cry at the intense pressure in her abdomen. She made it to the bedroom and bent down to get a pair of sweat pants and underwear from her drawer. Her hips felt almost heavy and a burning sensation tore through her. Tearing. That's exactly what it felt like. She was full on sobbing now as she planned to get her soiled clothes off, put the new ones on, and tell Edward she needed to go to the hospital.

She was cramping badly but managed to get the clothes off as the cramps eased. Soon after, everything tensed up again. She tried to convince herself of everything she possibly could. This was false labor, it took hours after someone's water breaks for them to have contractions so close together, they had time to get to the hospital with Edward driving, and even then she had time to get an epidural and deliver in a clean, safe environment like they'd planned. She was lying to herself and she knew it. Her knees almost buckled as she tried to walk towards the bathroom, the pain was excruciating. Giving up on making it to Edward, Bella realized he was going to have to come to her.

Edward was just rinsing the soap off when he heard it. At first, it sounded like crying but soon, he heard her scream. Shutting the water off quickly, Edward jumped out of the shower, fully naked and not bothering to grab a towel. His Bella was holding on the dresser in the bedroom, crouched down as if in pain. When he saw the expression on her face, he knew she was. "Call 9-1-1!" she cried, her whole body shaking.

"What's happening?" he was trying not to let himself cry.

"Just call! The baby is coming!"

"When did your water break?"

"Like ten minutes ago!"

"We have time, Bella. Come on, baby," he said, wrapping an arm around her to help her stand. "I'll get you to the hospital. By the time an ambulance would be here, we'd already be there..."

"It hurts! Oh, it hurts!" she cried, holding onto him for dear life.

Reaching down as if he could tell how close she was before the baby started to come down, he was shocked to learn that he had found out just that. He was barely inside of her before he felt the baby's head pushing back. He tried to remember everything he possibly could from the Lamaze classes they had taken as he grabbed his cell phone off of the bed stand. "What are you doing?" Bella asked, still crying and he noticed it looked like she was pushing down.

"Bella...stop...don't push. I'm calling 9-1-1. Just hang in there..."

"No. No we have to go to the hospital! Please!"

"We aren't going to make it there in time, Bella!" He got her onto the bed as the dispatcher picked up. He relayed the story to the woman on the other end of the phone, all the while trying to keep his wife calm. The woman told him that an ambulance was on its way but that he shouldn't try to stop the baby from coming. Putting the phone on speaker, he pushed Bella's hair away from her face and looked at her as calmly as he could. "We might have to do this here, Bella. The baby's already coming."

**I'm not sure if there will be one or two more chapters after this one but we are definitely coming to the end. I'm basing this birth off of something that happened to my boss's daughter. Ever since hearing this crazy story, I've wanted to write it. You'll get to see what happens in the next chapter. Tell me what you think! LP XX**


	75. Chapter 75

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.**

***Please read the author's note after this chapter at the bottom. PLEASE!***

**Chapter 75**

"Edward, please!" His heart broke as she begged him through her tears to put her in the car and drive her to the hospital. "I can't do this! Please!"

As much as she was fighting it, he could tell her body was bearing down, pushing the baby through the birth canal. His son was coming. With the calmest voice he could, he got her to look at him. Holding her face in his hands, he kissed her gently on the lips. As soon as he pulled back, he spoke his peace. "Bella, listen to me. Women have babies at home without medical help all of the time..."

"That's not the_ plan_! We need to stick to the plan! I'm supposed to be using the drugs, Edward! I don't _want_ to do this naturally!"

He didn't know if it would freak her out worse or not but he didn't know what else to do. Taking her hand, he guided her down to where he could feel the baby, even closer this time. Her breath caught and he knew this was real for her now. She was still shaking and sweat covered her body, plastering her hair to her face. "Do you feel him, love? That's my son. That's our baby. We can do this. Bella, I need you to do this, okay?"

"I can't," she said, defeated and worn out.

"You _can_. It takes some women days after their water breaks to deliver. You're already pushing. Just push for me a few more times, okay?"

After a few more seconds, through gritted teeth, she nodded her head. "Okay...okay. I can do this..." she didn't have time to finish her sentence as another hard contraction hit and she held onto his shoulders.

"Push with it, Bella. Let your body do this. Don't fight it!"

"Gravity!" she cried, trying to sit up, as if she just had a brilliant idea.

In no position to argue with her, he helped her stand and realized what she meant. They were instructed that gravity helped things move along naturally. From that point, now that she realized there was no way in hell the hospital was a possibility, she braced herself for the next contraction. The second it hit, she pushed down. He was holding her up now as she leaned against him. Four more pushes later, he felt her reaching down, he stopped her and told her he had him.

Everything happened fast then. The baby was in his hands but there was no sound. He tried to remember what to do once the baby was out and began to panic. The baby should cry. This wasn't normal. Bella confirmed his fears when she became hysterical, yelling that something was wrong, that their son wasn't crying. Edward felt him, though. He was breathing and moving his little legs. Babies needed to be kept warm so he grabbed the throw blanket from the edge of the bed and wrapped him in it.

After the shock wore off, Edward gently handed Bella the newborn and helped get her onto the bed quickly. Running from the room, he grabbed what he needed to cut the cord. He remembered that he would need to tie it back up somehow. Cringing, he grabbed twine from a drawer in the kitchen. He was just performing that century's-old fatherly duty when he heard him. It started out as a small, barely-there whimper as Bella massaged his little body but it soon turned into a full-on cry.

Edward looked up with tears in his own eyes to see Bella bawling through a smile. "You did it, Bella!"

"_We_ did it!" she corrected him.

Their moment lasted for only a few seconds before worry set in again. "What do we now? Do we dress him? Put a diaper on him?"

"I don't know..." then his wife did the most natural thing she could think of for a situation like this. It was almost like she knew it on instinct. Lifting her shirt, she let the baby latch on to her and smiled to herself in satisfaction for knowing what would appease him.

"Bells, you have to deliver the placenta..." that's when he realized that the phone was still on—and they had both completely been ignoring it. Reaching for it, he heard a few loud knocks on the door and jumped up to let the EMT's in.

Bella was looking down at her new son, watching him eat, when she yelled, "Pants! Edward, you aren't wearing any clothes!"

A minute later, he was dressed in boxers and sweatpants with no shirt, leading the group of three men back to his wife. He knew two of them but either way he probably would have felt uncomfortable with three guys seeing his wife naked. "Did she deliver the afterbirth?" They were shooting questions at him left and right and he had a bad feeling that they might not know how to handle a situation such as this one.

"No. Everything else is okay. I think. I really want them taken to the hospital, though."

"Alright, let's get them in the ambulance."

Halfway to the hospital, the placenta was delivered smoothly and as soon as they arrived at the hospital, it was confirmed that all of it was out. He was surprised by how easily it was to get Masen to eat and he screamed the whole time he was away from his mother. He was only four and a half pounds but after Edward asked every single person they came in contact with if he came to soon and everyone telling him the baby looked happy and healthy, he finally relaxed and started to believe it. They were at the hospital for almost an hour, still half in shock and slightly dazed, when Bella realized no one knew what had happened but them.

Almost not wanting their time alone to end, he took the baby from her so she could rest and stepped into the hallway. Masen no longer cried, just dozed in and out of sleep. He was a very pleasant baby when he wasn't hungry. Nurses walk past him, as well as a few patients and visitors, everyone of them tried to catch a long glimpse of the newborn. He was polite but also kind of ignored them. He called Renee and Charlie first. Renee answered on the first ring, "What did the doctor say?"

"Um...we didn't get to the doctors..."

"What's wrong?" she asked, immediately worried.

"Right after you guys left...well a couple hours later...Bells went into labor on her own..."

Renee gasped, "Oh my, God! We shouldn't have left! We're on our way! We can probably get there before..."

"She had him already, Renee."

"What? We just practically got home! Is she okay? Is Masen okay?"

"She's doing great and so is Masen. It happened really fast and she ended up having him naturally...in our bedroom."

"But they're both healthy?"

"Yes. I promise, everything is okay," he realized he was starting to tear up again and heard Masen begin to whimper and then let out a cry before calming back down again. The baby was picking up on how he was feeling.

"Is that him? Is that my grandson?"

"Yeah. He's amazing," Edward said, wiping away a tear that had slipped out.

"We're on our way! Tell them both we love them! Is there anything I need to do or bring? Do any of you need anything?"

"No...actually, I have a lot of people to call. Think you could help me out on your way down here?"

His mother was the next in line. She was just as concerned yet in awe over the delivery as his mother-in-law was. "But she's so little! This is her first!"

"I know, mom..."

"I'm on my way! I can't wait to see him!"

"Wait! I need you to stop at the house first. There's a packed overnight bag in our bedroom and I need you to grab the packed diaper bag in the nursery."

"Anything else?"

"No, that should do it. Unless dad is with you. Then we could use a vehicle as well...and the car seat."

"He's not but we'll get it for you eventually. He's there at the hospital. Want me to call him?"

With a smirk, Edward looked down at his son. "I think I'll surprise him. How are the kids?"

"Good. I just picked them up about fifteen minutes ago and they're outside playing. I figured they should get out some energy before homework time."

"That's fine."

"It's okay that I bring them with me, right?"

"Absolutely. Kaley's going to be ecstatic."

"I'll see you guys soon..."

"Mom, one more thing. The bedroom is pretty gruesome. Don't the let the kids in there until I can get it cleaned up...and there might be a puddle in the kitchen..."

After making a few more calls, Edward headed over to the nurse's station. The young nurse oohed and awed at his son and then asked him what he needed. "Can you page Dr. Cullen for me?"

"Right away, sir. Is he okay?" she asked, looking over anxiously at the baby.

"He's fine. It's not for the baby. Dr. Cullen is my father. If you could tell him to come to room..."

"114?" she finished for him, then blushed. "Sorry. Your story is kind of the talk of the hospital."

Edward went back to the room and found Bella sound asleep. Masen was awake now, kicking his tiny legs and letting out little baby noises. Whispering to him about how much he loved him, Edward held him close. Carlisle's blond head peeked into the room a few moments later. Quietly, he chuckled. "A girl was just brought in with a baby her husband and her delivered at home..." Carlisle fiend boredom as he recited the story he must have heard quite a few times.

"I hear we're pretty popular," Edward said raising an eyebrow. "Come meet your new grandson."

"He's beautiful. Looks healthy. Has he eaten?"

"Yeah. He picked that up a minute after he was born. He's a natural with that..."

Carlisle chuckled, looking tenderly over at Bella. "How's she holding up? I know what she went through had to have been traumatic."

"She's doing okay. She's been really quiet since he was born. I think she's in shock. Dad, she was begging me to take her here and I couldn't. She would of ended up having him in the car."

"You did the right thing."

"She was so scared. I've never seen her like that."

"Well, it's over now and he's here. Enjoy him."

"He's too small. Do you think he's really healthy?"

"Yes. I do. If he's eating the way you say he is, he'll fill out in no time."

"Think you can take on another new patient?" Edward asked, trying to stay serious through his smirk.

"I think I can pencil in one more."

While Carlisle held him, Edward stepped into the hallway to intercept Alice—who he could hear coming down the hall. He had told everyone they could come see the baby but that he wanted Bella to rest. In other words, he had to reign in Alice. "Edward! Ugh! I can't believe she didn't call me!"

"She didn't really have time, Al."

Alice grabbed him up in a hug. "I love you guys! Where's my nephew?"

About ten minutes later, Esme and the kids came peeking into the room. Alice was holding the baby and Edward realized that Kaley and Robby did not really understand what was happening. They were both very quiet and Bella held her arms out to them. Kaley looked almost as skittish as Robby. "Hey, guys! How was school today?"

Kaley just shrugged and Edward helped her sit on the bed by Bella. Robby wouldn't go near the bed and went to stand in the doorway. Everyone seemed to notice their distress and Esme walked over, saw her grandson, rubbed his arm, and said, "Why don't we all give the family some time? Let's go get some cookies for the kids."

When everyone was gone and Edward was holding Masen, Bella rubbed Kaley's arm. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I want Aunt Alice to have the baby."

Edward lifted an eyebrow as Bella tried to get to the bottom of the problem. "Honey, this is _our_ baby. I thought you wanted a baby brother."

"I do..."

Bella could see the look of being unable to express herself at such a young age come across her daughter's face. Kaley was confused and it made sense for her to be. Edward must have read the same thing because he knelt down, "If I help you, do you want to hold him?"

Kaley smiled then and nodded. Sitting on the bed beside her, Edward placed the baby gently in her little arms after Bella showed her what to do. At first, Masen whimpered but Edward talked softly to him and he calmed down. "He's like my baby doll!"

"Well," Edward quickly reminded her, "he's not a toy. We talked about this already. You can only pick him up if mommy or daddy are helping you, okay?"

Edward turned towards Robby then, "Buddy, do you want to hold your new brother?"

Robby backed further into the hallway and shook his head. "That's okay. Do you want to come give me a hug?" Bella asked, knowing that it was going to take longer to warm Robby up to the new baby.

He walked quickly over to her then and she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Robby. What do you think of him?"

"He's little."

"He's very little. When he gets bigger, though, you can play together."

Robby smiled a small smile and hugged Bella tighter. Edward was looking down lovingly at Kaley when he asked, "So what do you think, Kaley?"

"I guess we can keep him," she shrugged. Neither of her parents had the heart to tell her she really didn't have a choice.

After Esme came back, cookies and chocolate milk in hand, everyone visited for awhile longer. When Masen started doing his little whimper before sobbing, much like he had right after he was born, Edward took him from Rosalie and handed him to Bella. Her face lit up when she had the baby in her arms at last but then she bit her lip and blushed. He knew what this was about. "Uh, guys, I love you all for coming but Bella really does need some time to herself with him..."

Esme, ever the savior, quickly jumped up. "That's fine, honey! You call if you need anything. Let's go guys."

As everyone said their goodbye's, Kaley and Robby gave their parents hugs. Robby started to cry when it was time to leave. Throughout the visit, if Edward wasn't holding Masen, he had his other son. Bella was shocked by how much Robby appeared to envy his baby brother. Robby admitted that he thought Bella was sick and after being reassured that the reason she was in the hospital wasn't because of that, he reluctantly left with Esme.

The room became quiet except for Masen, who was hungry and was letting it be known. "Thank you. I wish the kids didn't have to leave, though."

"They'll be okay. Here, let me help you." After helping her unbutton her gown and get comfortable, he left her to work her magic. She was doing wonderfully and he remembered being told that the breastfeeding thing didn't always go so well. Thankfully, that wasn't something that they had to worry about. He knew she was in pain, though. While the delivery was fast, it did it's damage. She was small and there had been a bit of tearing. Other than that, both mom and baby were doing well. He couldn't ask for much more.

Renee and Charlie arrived shortly after Masen was finished with his dinner. Bella was lying on her side, the blankets wrapped around her chest so that no one got a show and Masen was on his back, kicking his legs and stretching while she watched him. He couldn't help but take a picture of it. It was one of the cutest damn things he'd ever seen. Renee cried when she first came in and Charlie just shook Edward's hand after rolling his eyes comically at his wife's tears.

The hospital stay was two nights and by the third day, Bella thought Edward was going to have to tie her to the bed. The second day they were there she was in her regular clothes and even had her make up on. The doctors didn't want her up and about too much yet but she wasn't listening. The kids visited after school the second day and she stood and played with them. Edward must have given up reminding her to lay down because she had quit listening. She felt fine, aside from the horrendous condition her nether regions were currently in. Six weeks without sex had seemed like a long time. Now, she vowed to not let him touch her their for at least eight.

Masen was beautiful and she agreed with Edward when the nurse came in and asked if they wanted to put him in the nursery for the night. She could remember Edward telling her about Kaley being in there alone and couldn't bring herself to do that to her son. They learned quickly that he wasn't a very fussy baby and they both hoped he would stay that way. They also learned that while Robby wasn't particularly happy about the idea of having to share Edward with another boy, he was very protective of his little brother. At one point, a male nurse came in to get Masen to take him to get checked out and Robby about had a panic attack until Edward promised him they wouldn't hurt the baby.

On the third day, Edward loaded Bella and baby into the car to head home. Bella loved how easily being a dad came to him but the more she thought about it, she realized he hadn't had a choice before and now he finally had the confidence to hone his skills. "Different from last time, huh?" she asked as they pulled up in front of the house.

He knew what she was taking about and gave a dry laugh, "Definitely. I had my mom with me and Kaley literally screamed from the moment I put her in the car seat until the moment I got her home and out of it. Poor thing just wanted her mother. In her opinion, I was a total stranger."

Now, she watched as he held Masen, going room to room and introducing the place. Esme agreed to bring the kids home around lunchtime. Kaley wasn't good with being away from them, well it was more being away from Edward, but either way Bella couldn't wait to get back into their normal lives. With Masen sound asleep in his crib, Edward got Bella settled on the couch and relaxed with her for awhile. "Shouldn't we try to keep him up or something?" she asked.

"I think we need to let him sleep."

"What's the _right_ thing to do?"

"Bells, that's just it. There isn't a right or wrong way of parenting. Every article you read, every book that's out there, hell even every specialist is going to tell you something different. You just have to go with what works for our family. If you want to keep him up so he'll sleep at night we can try it. Just because I was there when Kaley was little doesn't mean my way is the only way. You have a say in this, too. A big say."

Bella found her eyelids to be heavy and shrugged, "I say let him sleep."

Later that night, they also realized that this whole experience was going to be a learning curve for everyone. Bella truly felt bad for Robby. He had trouble sleeping through the night as it was but now that there was a new baby with his days and nights mixed up, it made it even harder for him. It started around eleven, after they had all gone to bed at ten.

Having decided to try to get the baby onto a little bit of a schedule, Bella fed him around nine when he wanted it and did so while rocking him. To no one's surprise, he fell asleep and she laid him down in his crib. After getting the kids ready for bed, it was a weekend and they were watching a movie until that point, Bella and Edward headed to bed with the baby monitor in hand. When they heard the first sounds of him whimpering, Edward told her he'd get him. At about one am he was up again, once again Edward jumped up and went for him, only to come back tapping on Bella's shoulder and saying that the newborn needed something Edward couldn't supply. Robby had woken up then and Edward tucked him back in.

An hour later, the crying started back up. Edward didn't even say anything. He just got up and went to check on him. This time Robby tried to come into bed with her and Bella gently told him he had to sleep in his own bed. There was a good chance Masen would be up for many nights like this and she wasn't going to start the habit of Robby crawling into bed with them. She tucked him in this time. Finally, the baby slept from about two-thirty until six.

The day was spent reveling in just having him home, though Bella, Edward, and Robby were exhausted from the night before. When the next night brought much of the same, Bella knew she was going to have to speak to her husband in the morning. Not once had he let her go to Masen during the night. If he needed fed, Edward would bring him in and Bella would take care of it. That was all he'd let her do. Confused about this, and starting to doubt that he thought she could do this at all, she confronted him later. "Edward, you know I can do this, right? I mean...am I doing something that's not okay? Just tell me so I know."

"What do you mean?"

"You never even let me get up with him at night. I'm more than a wet nurse, Edward. I'm his mother."

"I never meant to make it seem like that...I thought you just...that since I was fine with handling him on my own...and I'm up a lot anyway..."

"He's not Kaley, Edward," she said quietly, piecing the puzzle together. "You aren't on your own here."

From that point on, he went out of his way to make sure they were sharing equal responsibility and a routine was established. Edward went back to work when Masen was three weeks old and Bella found herself feeling alone. Though she would sometimes wake up with nightmares centering around the delivery, something that Dr. Kramer said was normal after having gone through something so traumatic, she never hit bottom. Between Edward and Carlisle, their little family managed to get through

Anytime she was close to slipping into depression, either Edward or Alice was there for support. Though she was sometimes lonely, she loved having the precious time she did with her new baby without having to worry about anyone else. It also helped that Alice was around a lot. Masen and Mackenzee were without a doubt going to be close friends. Sometimes the babies would giggle and coo together as if sharing a hilarious inside joke.

At four weeks old, Masen was introduced to the whole Forks crew for the first time when Bella went to pick up her dress and get it altered. Chelsea and Jake's wedding was about a month away and she was starting to get nervous over being in front of so many people, though she refused to share that fear with Chelsea, not wanting to stress her out even more. Leah gave her and Alice both a pep talk at the bridal store as everyone passed her son and Alice's daughter around and drank sparkling water.

For the first time since moving in with Edward, she finally felt like things were the way they were supposed to be. Her family, though pieced together, was finally complete. Kaley was her happy, hyper self and loved to help her parents with her new baby brother. Robby finally quit clinging desperately to Edward and began to enjoy the idea of having another boy in the house who he could teach and play with. Dr. Kramer was helping him deal with the big transition. For the first time in his life, he had things to look forward to. The biggest thing in particular was a trip Jake had discussed with Edward and Bella. Jake wanted to bring Robby to Seattle for a week during the summer. He would stay with Jake and Chelsea at the new house and Jake was going to take him to meet a few of his friends from the VA hospital. Robby talked about it constantly. She also knew that with a new baby coming, Chelsea was surprisingly okay with taking him on for that whole week.

Emmett and Rosalie finally figured out how to work the divorce details out when it came to sharing Lily. Ironically, that is exactly what brought them back together. Without telling anyone, not even Edward or Emmett's parents, they went to the courthouse and came home remarried. His parents had been using and paying for Rosalie's apartment, her father had to be put into a personal care facility so someone could keep an eye on him at all times. Emmett's parents were in the process of moving into Emmett and Rosalie's old house as they prepared to move into Rose's father's vacant one. Two months after they were remarried, Rosalie went back to work and Emmett got over his issues with Esme watching his daughter.

Due to unexpected circumstances, Edward's boss passed away a week after Jake's wedding. He took it hard but was encouraged by his fellow coworkers to apply for the position. With his background in law, he was a shoe-in and no one bothered to go against him for it. Sometimes, Bella would notice that he would get irritable over not getting to work with clients and once in awhile he would fill in for his employees when they couldn't make it to an appointment. Edward was meant to work with the public. He was meant to help them and he was damn good at it.

Something else both Robby and Kaley had to look forward to was something that Bella and Rosalie actually put together. With Forks being such as small town, they decided to start a youth program for kids to let them and their families really get to see what it was like being a firefighter. Already, they had ten families sign up for it, and through that, three prospective adult volunteers to join the team. Edward never did officially leave the group and that was fine with Bella. They understood when he had to say no and someday he did plan to leave—but not until he could do it without causing more risk of harm to his fellow firemen.

Upon moving to Forks, Bella had acquired an entirely new family of people she and her husband both relied on and supported. Many didn't understand their dynamic. She had an adopted daughter who was biologically her husband's, an adopted son who still needed constant emotional support, she had one birth son to the man she couldn't live without, she even had a husband who worked and volunteered at two risky jobs. Bella did it all as if there was nothing odd about any of it, sometimes she needed support from family and friends, other times Dr. Kramer was the only one who could help her though. It didn't matter what anyone had to say about her loving, dysfunctional family.

She had come to the small town in the hopes of a fresh start after starting to lose faith in some of the people around her. Along the journey she found that no one was perfect—including herself, her marriage, her family back home, or her friends around her. She had always thought that her role was to finish school and become a teacher. While she had accomplished that, she had accomplished so much more in her young life. She never second guessed it, though. The role she stepped into when she met Edward was without a doubt the most important role she'd ever take on in her life and she couldn't wait for the next big moment in their lives when her role would once again change slightly to fit the situation. She had faith that it would always be for the better.

**This was a hard one to end and I really have to say that this story meant a lot to me to write. I met many of you awesome people as you took this journey with me. I've met friends and have been given huge amounts of support. Even as a writer, it's hard for me to put into words how much you all have meant to me, through your private messages and reviews. I can remember the beginning of this summer when I thought that achieving even just a thousand reviews was an unattainable dream but you have all turned that dream into a reality for me. I dedicate this story to all of you and encourage you all to take on your own positive roles no matter how scary. **

**I'm not going to be gone for long and I would like to let those of you who were excited about my ghost hunting trip know that my next story will be based around just that. It will be Edward/Bella as usual and I'm hoping it will be different from anything else you've read as it will be coming from my personal experiences. I am working as beta for a story by Scorpsifer called 1979 and you should check it out. It's good I promise. **

**I've also been tweeting lately, which I know is sometimes rare for me. Please follow me there letzigprincess. When my new story is launched, you will be the first people to know. So, as always, please review and let me know what you liked or disliked, what made you laugh or cry, or even let me know if you have any questions about something that might need to be cleared up. It's been a ride and I love you all! Letzigprincess**


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